“The rape kit back log is the most shocking demonstration of how we regard these crimes,” says Mariska Hargitay in a new trailer for “I Am Evidence.” Produced by the “Law & Order: SVU” star, the HBO documentary examines why there are hundreds of thousands of untested kits across the country — damning evidence of just how poorly the “justice” system works for those who have been raped.
“Right now my name is on a box on a shelf that has never been tested,” one survivor observes. Another adds, “I can’t understand what was so unimportant about me.”
When we asked directors Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir (“A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers”) what drew them to the project, they responded, “The outrage we felt when we heard that it’s estimated that there are 400,000 untested rape kits in the Unites States. When one in four women and one in six men are affected by this kind of violence, we’re all affected in some way,” they emphasized.
The collaborators want viewers to “have a better understanding of the survivor experience” and “to ask their legislators to pass laws that require the testing of all rape kits in a timely manner and to follow up on the findings of those tested kits.” “I Am Evidence” isn’t just about presenting the horrific facts and sharing the testimonies of those affected by this gross negligence — it’s also a call to action.
The doc debuts on HBO April 6.
