Emmy Award winning actress Julianna Margulies, last night, presented the Guardian Angel Award to activist Erin Merryn at the Glamour magazine Women of the Year Awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall. Wearing an umbrella silhouette dress by Chado Ralph Rucci, black Giuseppe Zanotti pumps and Fred Leighton earrings, the Good Wife actress praised Merryn for her courage in overcoming child sexual molestation and rape by two men (an older cousin and a friend’s uncle) before the age of eleven and turning the tragedy into a lifelong dedication to advocating for children and women who’ve been sexually abused.
Due to Merryn’s tireless work, four states have passed Erin’s Law, a bill encouraging schools to teach children about sexual abuse prevention. With her tireless work and support by millions of people, including Oprah Winfrey, ten more states will be adopting a similar law by 2013 to protect children from predators and help them to speak out against their attackers. Merryn has also written two books, Stolen Innocence and Living for Today, out in bookstores nationwide.
