This weekend Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier with friends in high places and who had been convicted of pedophilia and accused of running a sex trafficking ring, died in his New York cell in an apparent suicide. There are questions—some are even fanning conspiracies—about why he was not placed under closer watch after he had tried to kill himself in July. Still, with his death, Epstein’s victims will no longer have the satisfaction of obtaining justice for what they experienced.
Two years ago, an equally big name in the US—movie producer Harvey Weinstein—was outed as a serial sexual abuser, using his power and influence to make or break the careers of aspiring actresses. Soon, the #MeToo movement was born. Women, girls, and even men came forward with their own stories of sexual harassment or assault in an effort to empower others cowed into silence and who think they are alone and powerless against their abusers.
Then again, we know all too well that these things do not just happen in Hollywood, or in the US. All around the world, in all industries—in the development sector, in the academe, in business, in government—there is always that person who believes he—or she in some cases—can get away with using power and intimidation to get what he wants.
Here at home, a prestigious literary workshop has been put on the spotlight after a female writing fellow relayed her experience on social media, accusing the workshop’s keynote speaker of raping her. Indeed the literary community, like any other community, is not immune to such incidents. People are people, after all, wherever they are placed.
The phenomenon is nuanced, and we must acknowledge that things of this sensitive nature are never quite so black and white. Foremost, the notion of “consent” is tricky. Motives of those who claim to be victims can be questioned. There remains the notion of an old boys’ club, or the sense of protecting an institution. Sometimes, it might simply be an issue of miscommunication, mixed signals, or a date/ hookup gone bad.
No doubt, the culture of calling out abusers should be strengthened. Support must be given by individuals and by institutions. Workplaces and other environments should make clear that they will not tolerate such behavior regardless of who the perpetrator is. Victims, whatever their stature, must realize it is always in their best intention to speak out about their abusers, even though the consequences of coming forward may be overwhelming. What is wrong is to believe one never has a choice except to be silent.
Then again, it is equally wrong to heap the blame on another person out of malice or spite. With today’s outrage against abusers, a mere allegation can destroy one’s life work and tar one’s reputation for good. Doing this also does a grave disservice to real victims—subjecting them to undue scrutiny or even disbelief, when they deserve to be truly heard and empowered.
Not even national officials joking about rape and other forms of abuse should confuse our moral compass as to what we should expect of others—and most importantly, ourselves.
