Quote:
Originally Posted by speede5
Wasn't the outcome of that movement to believe the accuser, making the accused guilty until proven innocent?
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Outcome? I'm not sure.
The original purpose was to a) let victims know that they weren't alone, that there have been many (far too many) that have been sexually assaulted who are now there to provide support, empathy, and understanding and b) to let the world know just how many people have been sexually harassed and that they weren't going to suffer in silence and allow it to continue quietly. It was never really the intention to somehow turn men into the victims.
I think the
outcome you speak of has been a bit of an unintended consequence but the real outcome was that the victims would be heard, that they wouldn't be quickly dismissed for whatever reason.
"She couldn't have been raped by Weinstein, she just wanted a job and now regrets what she had to do to get it." "That movie star never would have to resort to rape, he could get any woman he wanted, she is just looking for a cash grab." "Oh, she couldn't have been raped because she's a huge slut."
I try to look at it as Schrodinger's assault. Until both parties have had their chance to speak, present evidence, etc. you somehow have to give both parties the benefit of the doubt. It's a hard web to untangle for sure and often times we will be left unsatisfied with a he-said she-said outcome.
I mean the #MeToo movement was pretty much about stopping what happened to Kobe's alleged victim from continually happening. She had her name inadvertently released by the court, but certain media took it and released it outside of normal practices not to name rape victims. They tried to find flaws in her story for no other reason except who she was accusing.
She was on medication at one point, therefore she was unreliable. She had sex with a man 72 hours before the alleged rape, therefore there was no way she would not have sex with Kobe. She was working at a hotel so she was just trying to get some easy money by blackmailing him. She had struggled with mental health and was therefore just an attention whore.
Forgetting the death threats, the fake nudes made, the doxxing of her by the more crazed fans, just the public in general was terrible. Regardless of whether you believe Kobe thought it was consensual. And then of course when she decides it would be easier to just drop from testifying it made all the "accusations" against her that much more fact. Pretty easy to see why women in similar positions would not want to come forward and have the same stuff happened to them when they are already struggling due to the assault.