“Today is a day for us to honour how far we’ve come and how much we’ve endured to get here, but it is not the end, ” so said actress Rose McGowan last week at the start of the trial that marked the beginning of the #MeToo Movement.
While Hollywood power broker and financier Harvey Weinstein is not the first person accused of sexual misconduct to be tried (Bill Cosby has already been tried and convicted), the outcome of the trial – expected to last two months – is likely to have a tremendous bearing on the #MeToo movement in the United States and worldwide. One crucial issue is whether the allegations made against various men, including Weinstein, are able to stand scrutiny in the justice system. As is well known, many of the allegations made in the #MeToo movement have been tried in the court of public opinion but not as many have translated into actual charges being brought against the perpetrators.
In the Weinstein case, a total of 80 women have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct since the first accusations came to light in October 2017. The allegations ranged from sexual assault to rape to lesser charges. Most of the accusations, however, fell outside the statute of limitations or the period of time in which charges can be bought. The translation of accusations into charges was so difficult, in fact, that of the 80 women who have made accusations only two women’s cases are being heard at this current trial.
