Is the conviction of Harvey Weinstein really a victory for the #MeToo Movement?
Harvey Weinstein, the infamous Hollywood producer, has officially been convicted of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree. However, the charges he was convicted of versus those that he was originally charged with are telling.
Many people are celebrating his conviction, and rightly so. One of many women celebrating his conviction is Asia Argento, an Italian actress and director who was one of the first to accuse Weinstein.
“Harvey Weinstein is now a convicted rapist. Two survivors cry and celebrate. Thank you, God,” Argento posted on Instagram.
Another victim, actress Ashley Judd, also celebrated Weinstein’s conviction on Twitter.
“For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service to girls and women everywhere, thank you,” Judd said.
Melissa Silverstein, the founder of the advocacy group Women and Hollywood, expressed relief for the victims being heard in a post on Twitter after Weinstein’s sentencing.
“He is finally going to pay for something. This is a day many people never thought would arrive. And this is because the women stood up and said no more,” Silverstein said. “The world changed in 2017, but now there is accountability. You can lose everything. You can go to jail.
However, while many celebrate this as a victory for the #MeToo movement, we should keep in mind what charges he was convicted of and which he was not.
Weinstein was convicted of the first-degree sexual assault of Mimi Haley, a former production assistant, whom he held down and forcibly performed oral sex on. He was also convicted of the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, his former girlfriend.
However, these are not the only charges that Weinstein was accused of. After having a hung jury and deliberating for five days, Weinstein was ultimately acquitted of the two counts of predatory sexual assault and criminal sexual acts against Annabella Sciorra and Haley and the first-degree rape of Mann.
When asked why she stayed in this relationship, Mann said there was “no short answer” and part of the reason she stayed was out of fear.
“One of the aspects initially was that I had had a sexual encounter,” she said. “That wasn’t something I could undo. That really confused me and hurt me.”
These are still serious charges for which he has been acquitted and are a testament to how much farther the #MeToo movement needs to go towards changing the culture around sexual violence.
These women heard people accuse them of making up the details of their case and faced the general distrust of the public in order to tell their story. Their stories were questioned because they were in relationships with Weinstein and they chose not to leave him at the time.
Despite the testimonies from these victims, Weinstein was still acquitted of the most serious charges.
It is important to note that this case went to trial in Manhattan with only six of the more than 90 accusers and that it took decades for Weinstein to be arrested, although his actions were common knowledge to most in Hollywood.
Many celebrate the barriers that this case broke, such as the lack of physical evidence and the general distrust of the word of female survivors. However, it is possible to celebrate these victories while still calling for further actions to be taken to make it easier for victims to come forward.
The word of women is still doubted in many court cases, and while it is still necessary to put measures in place to protect against false allegations, these are rare occurrences. More measures need to be taken to provide women with safe places to come forward, discuss their experiences, and walk through the necessary procedures before taking legal measures and receive counseling or be provided references for these services. Only then will more women feel comfortable to come forward and say #MeToo.