BARCC is disheartened on behalf of all survivors following the decision by the New York Court of Appeals overturning Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction.
This decision reflects the vast challenges survivors face in seeking justice through the criminal legal system. It further reveals the lack of accountability for people who commit sexual abuse, assault, and harassment, especially for those perpetrators who remain or were in positions of power.
As our colleagues at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center shared, “We cannot let a single case outcome be seen as a measure of #MeToo and the movement against sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. Instead, it underscores that barriers still exist despite the immense progress of a movement that has shifted public understanding and empowered survivors. #MeToo grew out of our society’s failure to respond to the needs and experiences of survivors, and the movement will still have strength and purpose until healing and justice are more accessible to all survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.”
While some survivors seek justice and healing through the criminal legal system, it repeatedly fails survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. As dissenting Judge Madeline Singas, aptly said, “this Court [New York Appeals Court] continues to thwart the steady gains survivors of sexual violence have fought for in our criminal justice system.”
And as founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke shared, “No single legal ruling can ever match the tremendous progress we have made together in the movement against sexual violence… The movement will persist, driven by the truth of our testimonies. And changes to our systems and culture will follow.”
The decision to overturn Weinstein’s conviction was made in the last few days of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time when survivors’ voices should be honored and celebrated – not discounted and dismissed. We encourage the BARCC community and beyond to keep showing up to build connected communities where survivors are centered, believed, and supported. It takes all of us standing together, uniting to end sexual violence.
BARCC supports all survivors in their journey toward healing and empowerment, and we renew our commitment to advocating for and working to create a more fair and equitable judicial system. Our work will not rest until survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment have the access and options they deserve.
If you or someone you know needs support, BARCC’s 24-hour hotline is available at 800-841-8371 or send us a message via chat at barcc.org/chat from 9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. daily.
