Harvey Weinstein, the former movie mogul, is on trial again in New York for sexual assault. His earlier conviction, overturned last year, was a key moment in the #MeToo movement. Fordham Law Professor Cheryl Bader spoke to The New York Times about how the #MeToo movement brought about “profound changes” in how cases of sexual assault were handled in the law and in culture.
In the years since the accusations against Mr. Weinstein were first made public, the #MeToo movement brought about “profound changes” in how cases of sexual assault were handled in the law and in culture that won’t easily go away, said Cheryl Bader, a law professor at Fordham University. That reckoning helped educate the public, gave prosecutors more confidence in bringing cases despite a victim’s “baggage” and broadened the sensitivity toward victims felt by both prosecutors and law enforcement, she said.
Still, the number of sexual assault accusations that lead to criminal convictions remains relatively small. For every 1,000 assaults, only about 28 people are convicted of a felony, according to an analysis by RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
The culture, Ms. Bader said, took a big step forward during #MeToo, “but perhaps the law could not keep up.”
Read “Jurors Will Consider Weinstein’s Fate in a Changed Climate” in The New York Times.