A really bad ‘movie’

Many had hoped Weinstein’s criminal conviction in Manhattan would signal a new era for the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault. — AFP

IT has been nearly seven years since the #MeToo movement rocked social media, with millions of women posting publicly about their experiences of sexual assault in response to allegations that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had committed predatory acts.

As a former New York sex crimes prosecutor and legal director for a Chicago nonprofit serving survivors of sexual assault, I spoke to many colleagues who hoped Weinstein’s criminal conviction in Manhattan would signal a new era for the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault.