Joyful Heart in the News

“Compassion.”

That’s what actress and  activist Mariska Hargitay would like to see extended toward “Jackie,” the woman at the center of the “Rolling Stone”article about an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia.

The star of NBC’s long-running drama, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” sounded thoughtful as she answered my question about the controversy that may have hurt rather than helped women who’ve been raped.

“My heart goes out to all victims,” she told me. “I ask that people not rush to judgment….these things are complicated.”

Hargitay wondered, as others have, whether “fragmented memories” could be a factor in the situation at U-Va. It’s an issue that her character, Det. Olivia Benson has dealt with on the show.

If you’ve ever watched even one episode of “SVU,” you can understand why Hargitay, who’s won both Emmy and Golden Globe awards for her portrayal of Det. Benson, has turned activist for the victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Her latest effort, aimed “at getting the conversation started” about these issues that often “are swept under the carpet,” ironically relies on silence and raw emotion rather than on cleverly scripted words.

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