The depressing truth of the fight against sexual assault

For one high profile conviction another rapist wins Best Director

The news has always been depressing, but in recent months the sheer despair of world events has made me want to cry. Last night I actually did cry scrolling through my Twitter feed when I came across a video of acclaimed actress Adèle Haenel exiting the Cesar awards after Roman Polanski, who has previously admitted to and is wanted by US authorities for drugging and raping a thirteen year old girl in 1977, was awarded Best Director. Haenel, who spoke out about the sexual abuse she suffered from the first director she worked with aged twelve last year, could be heard exclaiming “bravo la pédophilie” (bravo, pedophilia!) as she left the ceremony in protest. It was heartbreaking to hear because of how it resonates with so many womxn: that bitter disappointment yet lack of shock that, yet again, the pain of survivors has been brushed aside, and the man carries on without consequence.

The decision to give Polanski’s film An Officer and a Spy twelve nominations at the French equivalent of the Oscars had been met with criticism from France’s Minister for Equalities as well as many activists, forcing the entire Cesars Board to resign. The board defended their decision by arguing that it was not up to them to impose “moral positions” on the films presented. However this justification of ‘separating the art from the artist’ - as so many marginalised groups have been given to silence their suffering before - was rightly called out by Haenel, who in her interview with the New York Times described the nominations as “spitting in the face of all victims”. Polanski himself chose not to attend the ceremony, callously claiming a fear of “lynching” by feminists, having tried previously at the Venice Film Festival to compare criticisms of an act of sexual violence he openly admitted to carrying out to the antisemitic persecution of Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus by the French army, as depicted in his film. Of course, he still won two prizes at the festival. He still led the Cesar nominations and bagged the top prize. An Officer and a Spy has nevertheless been a box office success in France, facing the briefest of hindrances during publicity when photographer Valentine Monnier said that Polanski had also raped her when she was 18 in 1975. Meanwhile the womxn he has harmed remain without justice and watch their abuser receive critical acclaim - and precious little consequences.

This commendation has been a slap in the face for womxn everywhere, who just a few short days ago were given hope and vindication by the conviction of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein on two counts (criminal sex act in the first degree and rape in the third degree) in New York. In October 2017 the #MeToo movement - founded originally by Tarana Burke - was sparked by allegations of rape, sexual harassment and assault against Weinstein made by eighty-seven women, including many prominent Hollywood actresses. I was moved looking through the 2018 awards season photos, where actors and actresses painted the red carpets black in solidarity - a seemingly symbolic gesture. Thousands of womxn across the world shared their own stories of abuse and survival, people spoke out in different industries, and felt like we were being truly heard for the first time. Our voices mattered, and Weinstein’s conviction showed that collectively we could push for change.

But in many ways, the high media profile of #MeToo has been a lot of noise with little change in attitudes. Aside from Weinstein’s case, most accused men have been let off the hook. Allegations of bullying made by Uma Thurman against Quentin Tarantino were briefly highlighted then forgotten, as were Tarantino’s comments in defense of Polanski’s admitted statutory rape. He is simply a creative genius and Pulp Fiction is the best film ever made, or so I have been told by countless indie boys. There was a brief inquiry into sexual harassment in Westminster, which led to then-Defence Secretary Michael Fallon’s resignation over his inappropriate behaviour towards journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer and several female MPs. He was nonetheless allowed to remain as a sitting MP until he announced that he would not stand for re-election in 2019, even making public, outspoken statements on government policy and having his voice projected. Prince Andrew is allowed to simply take a break from public appearances, despite keeping up a friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and being photographed with Virginia Roberts, who has said he had sex with her after she had been sex-trafficked by Epstein. Our own Prime Minister Boris Johnson has evoked sexual imagery to diminish womxn for decades, writing a piece on the amount of “hot totty” present at the Labour conference in 1996, telling the public that voting Conservative would cause one’s wife to have bigger breasts, and described the “magnificent” experience of watching “semi-naked women playing beach volleyball”. Delightful. And he receives a majority to sit in the most powerful seat in the country.

Words and photo ops have sadly not changed the ingrained patriarchal culture at the core of our societies. It cuts so deeply because it has become so exhausting. Most womxn have stories about the creepy male colleague or harassment in the workplace that they had to grimace through to get their paycheck. We attend festivals, bars and concerts that little bit more on-edge than our male peers, constantly working out ways to avoid unwanted encounters. And so many of us have had to watch those who have harmed us receive the benefit of the doubt, excuses, and in the worst cases praise and congratulations.

According to research published in 2017, 37% of girls reported experiencing sexual harassment at school, 24% unwanted physical touching, and 66% sexist and discriminatory language, something not unfamiliar to my own experiences. From a young age we are conditioned to be vigilant - we must live our lives in preventative measures. This negatively impacts our later life where these attitudes prevail everywhere from workplaces to public spaces. Words and hashtags are vital for raising the profile of a movement and were a welcome first step two years ago, but we must keep the pressure on our institutions to ensure that change is far-reaching and not superficial.

When I watched that video of Adèle Haenel my heart broke for her and survivors everywhere. All I can hope is that the controversy and injustice galvanises the movement and rekindles the original fire that led to justice in the Weinstein case. It is 2020 and we should not be prioritising the discomfort of a wealthy child rapist over the trauma of victims of sexual abuse.