Actress Mariska Hargitay Urges Detroit To Move Forward With Thousands Of Untested Rape Kits

Actress Mariska Hargitay and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy spoke out on Monday about the overwhelming number of rape kits that have not been tested in the city of Detroit, Michigan.

Hargitay, an advocate and Founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation, called attention to the nearly 11,000 backlog of untested rape kits that were found sitting in a police warehouse in 2009, the Detroit Free Press reported.

"To me, this is the clearest and most shocking demonstration of how we regard these crimes," said Hargitay, who stars as "Sergeant Olivia Benson" on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU."

In addition to playing a cop who specializes in helping rape victims, Hargitay's JHF strives for justice for victims whose rape kits go untested.

Hargitay said it is already difficult to encourage victims to come forward and do a rape kit.

"But when they do and go through and say I am going to do this, and walk through like a hero," Hargitay said according to CBS Detroit, "and then it doesn't get tested, it was mind-blowing to me. My head exploded."

An estimated 400,000 rape kits nationwide have not yet been tested.

"One would assume that if someone endures a four-to-six hour invasive examination, that that evidence would be handled with care," Hargitay, 50, said according to the Free Press.

Worthy said that thanks to her office and state funding, progress has been made on clearing the rape kit backlog. They already have the results from DNA testing of 2,000 kits.

Michigan State Police said the last 7,400 kits should be tested by the end of this year thanks to $4 million that was set aside by the state to have the kits tested in private labs.

Worthy said she wants to make Michigan the first state that tracks rape kits throughout the entire investigation and trial. The prosecutor also plans to introduce legislation that will ensure rape kits are tested much faster.

"If you guys do it here in Detroit, if you do it here in Michigan, the rest of the country can figure it out," Hargitay said, CBS Detroit reported.

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