BARCC’s Statement to Mario Batali Verdict

This week, a Boston Municipal Court judge found celebrity chef Mario Batali not guilty of indecent assault and battery based on allegations that he aggressively kissed and groped a woman at a bar in 2017.  Interest in the criminal case was heightened by the global rise of the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment. While the outcome was disappointing to prosecutors, we are grateful to the survivor for coming forward and having the courage to participate in the process, especially in a case like this, where the perpetrator is in a position of power.

As often happens, the survivor was put on trial in this case. Our culture continues to blame victims for sexual violence and harassment which often gives a green light to people who perpetuate sexual violence and harassment to act with impunity. Very few survivors choose to engage with the criminal justice system and this high-profile case will likely impact decisions of survivors going forward.

“We support the choices that survivors make to care for themselves in the aftermath of sexual violence,” says BARCC’s Interim Executive Director, Duane de Four. “The problem of sexual violence should not lay on the shoulders of individual survivors to confront and eradicate. We all share responsibility for the culture and systems that perpetuate victim blaming and perpetuate systems of power and control that give cover to people who cause this harm.”

BARCC’s mission is to end sexual violence through healing and social change. As such, we are committed to helping our communities become intolerant of sexual violence. We will never end sexual violence until we do a better job as a society supporting and believing survivors while holding perpetrators accountable. Sadly, this case represents yet another failure in this regard.