Join the Mandel School of Applied Sciences Student-Alumni Network and the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education for a screening and discussion of I Am Evidence Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Mandel School’s Noble Commons.
The film, produced by the Joyful Heart Foundation and Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), exposes the number of untested rape kits in the United States.
Documentary details
The documentary follows stories of survivors who have waited years for their kits to be tested, as well as the law enforcement officials who are leading the charge to work through the backlog and pursue long-awaited justice in these cases.
I Am Evidence reveals the high cost of lingering weariness and need for healing surrounding rape investigations in this country, and the positive effects of treating survivors with the respect they deserve and an opportunity for justice.
The documentary includes a focus on Cuyahoga County, where the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force is following up on the testing of nearly 5,000 previously untested rape kits.
Since 2015, the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences has been the Task Force’s research partner. The Sexual Assault Kit Investigation project team consists of:
- Rachel Lovell, senior research associate;
- Daniel J. Flannery, the Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Professor and director of the center;
- Misty Luminais, senior research associate;
- Maggie McGuire research assistant;
- Joanna Klingenstein research assistant;
- Laura T. Overman, research associate;
- Duoduo Huang, research associate.
Screening details
Ilse Knecht, policy director of the Joyful Heart Foundation, will moderate a post-movie panel discussion with:
- Rachel Dissell, reporter for The Plain Dealer;
- Teresa Stafford, senior director of victim services and outreach and Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Response Team coordinator at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center; and
- Mary Weston, assistant prosecuting attorney for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
Two professional development hours are available, with one continuing education unit hour pending.