Harvey Weinstein's Win in Rape Culture
As we approach the end of Sexual Awareness Month, the New York Court of Appeals decided to rule in favor of someone who was convicted of committing sexual violence for years. Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted in 2020 for sex crimes specifically against 3 women, but the courts heard testimony from other women that accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting him, yet he wasn’t charged for those additional allegations. These additional allegations are part of the reason that he was convicted, and now they are part of the reason that one of those convictions was overturned.
Weinstein was convicted of rape and other criminal sexual acts in New York in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He has faced additional rape charges in Los Angeles, California and was found guilty of those and sentenced to 16 years. His legal time has spent countless efforts to appeal these charges and get them overturned. Weinstein has stated that he is innocent and those sexual acts were consensual.
He was granted an appeal on his charges in New York in 2022 and the ruling to overturn the conviction occurred this April 2024. The New York Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial, stating that the judge who originally presided over the case in 2020 should not have allowed testimony from witnesses whose allegations against Weinstein were not included in his charges. According to New York state law, courts cannot allow accusations of a crime that has not yet been charged brought up in a trial for a separate crime. Essentially, prosecutors cannot allow witnesses to speak about anything that is not included in the indictment against Weinstein. Even though the number of individuals who came forward accusing him of criminal sexual acts (the number of people reached almost 80 women) paint a picture of this sexual violence that he perpetrated throughout much of his powerful career. These are only the known accusers. How many more are out there?
The case against Weinstein led to a growth in the global social movement called #MeToo. The #MeToo movement worked to show just how common sexual violence is, specifically in the workplace, and how hard it can be to come forward. It illustrates the pervasiveness of rape culture and how embedded it is in our culture. Founded originally in 2006, #MeToo drew awareness in the wake of Weinstein’s allegations and charges. Women began sharing their stories of sexual violence in their workplace and how their companies and organizations did little to nothing to protect them or help them seek justice. This is inherent in rape culture. It reinforces the notion that women should just shut up and move on. It protects men above all, telling them that they can act inappropriate and violent and continue their jobs. It tells women that they are wrong if they make a big deal about and they will be punished for challenging this. Studies show that more than 70% of those who report abuse face consequences for doing so, including being fired or demoted. This is rape culture. A culture that works to protect rapists and discourage and intimidate survivors.
#MeToo aimed to show the world how common abuse is in employment. What Weinstein showed was that men can torment women around them, and everyone will protect him. Coming out and facing the person who abused you is scary and it should not fall on the survivors to be the ones to stand up against their abusers, especially alone. Weinstein was punished because of the brave women who came forward, and many came forward because they realised they were not alone. The overturn of his conviction in New York is disappointing. Luckily this does not mean he will be released due to his other conviction still standing in California. New York prosecutors plan on following through with a retrial. His conviction demonstrated progress in dismantling rape culture, showing that even a rich white man will face consequences for abuse no matter how long ago it was. However his conviction being overturned still shows that there is a lot of work left to do in tackling this culture of protecting sexual predators.
Additional Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/harvey-weinstein-sentencing-los-angeles-c287c5fe310c1f125086207be2916a3e
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harvey-weinstein-rape-conviction-overturned-appeal-new-york/
