Louisa Mak Opens Up About Sexual Harassment: #MeToo
The viral #MeToo movement, which started in October, has encouraged many women across the world to share their experiences with sexual assault and harassment. In Hong Kong, hurdler champion Vera Lui (呂麗瑤) was the first high-profile local star to join in the global #MeToo movement, sharing that she was once sexually harassed by a former coach.
Influenced by Vera, TVB star Louisa Mak (麥明詩) also stepped up to the stage to talk about sexual harassment. The Miss Hong Kong winner publicized her own experience on Facebook, and shared that she had been sexually harassed more than once.
“Me too. I believe than many young girls have experienced sexual harassment before,” said Louisa. “I was no exception, and it happened more than once; some beyond my control; some I could have stopped if I was more aware…. For victims to have the courage to face it, and to know that the fault is not on you, that is the first step. But what happens afterwards?”
Louisa, a law student of Cambridge, then offered some legal tips to fellow victims of sexual harassment, hoping to bring more awareness on the many possible ways where perpetuators can get punished by the law.
“It was only me and him at the time,” she said. “The argument was going nowhere. Why should you believe me more than him? It was only a 50:50 suspicion, meaning that he only has a 50:50 chance of being guilty. I was still studying law at the time.”
The 26-year-old expressed that circumstantial evidence is important. Where the incident took place could work more on the victim’s favor—for example, being harassed at the perpetuator’s home rather than at a work environment. Having records of interactions with the perpetuator, such as text conversations, before and after the incident is also incriminating evidence.
Those strategies may not be convincing enough to prove sexual harassment, but it gives the perpetuator one less excuse to defend.
Louisa continued, “Of course, if a girl in shock, it isn’t possible to consider all of these things. I didn’t consider these things until much afterwards, when I continuously recalled and reflected on the incident. This is why I hope these tips can help those girls who have not been victims. I believe that law is the closest thing to a fair judgement. It isn’t perfect. There would definitely be criminals who continue to roam free, but law has a guaranteed procedure. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to be heard.”
The My Ages Apart <誇世代> actress added that as a result of her experience, she has enrolled herself in martial arts classes to defend herself. “I am not trying to win a fight with a man; all I need is for myself to be able to create an opportunity of escape.”
As for why Louisa did not seek legal action against her perpetuator, she said, “This incident happened in the mainland. The Hong Kong courts have no jurisdiction.”
She added one last time, “I am really not a lawyer, I have just studied some theories. I don’t remember a lot of what I was taught, so I too need to seek the help of a professional lawyer. Boys should protect themselves too. Sexual harassment is not only patented by girls.”
Source: On.cc
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
I applaud Louisa for being brave enough to recount her experience, especially in an environment like HK (really any Asian community pretty much) where talking about these types of things is taboo. This news is actually old, as it occurred several weeks ago and at that time, Louisa actually got lambasted by the general public and by netizens for speaking out (Vera Lui did too, but luckily she got widespread support from the sports community and fellow athletes). In fact, people gave Louisa such a hard time that to prove she wasn’t lying, she actually had to post up a letter from the HK police department proving that she had filed a case with the police several years back but that they had destroyed her records.
The negative reaction from the HK community towards Vera and Louisa recounting their experiences saddens me but more than anything, it pisses me off that in this day and age, HK society is still so backward in that victims of assault are treated like crap for speaking out. When I see people like local political commentator Chip Tsao adding fuel to the fire by making fun of the MeToo movement and essentially leading the charge in ridiculing Louisa and Vera (and all women around the world who have spoken up thus far) for making their cases public, it really makes me mad because it’s these type of ignorant jerks that make other victims afraid to speak up. Neither Louisa nor Vera need to prove anything to anyone! Sexual harassment/assault is no laughing matter so for people to make light of it and give the victims a hard time for going public with it proves just how ignorant those people are!
@llwy12
It’s unfair that the women who speak out now are being accused by some as liars. That’s being victimized twice .
@msxie0714 Yea…and some are being labeled as “troublemakers” and condemned for “stirring the pot” or “making mountains out of molehills”.
But I guess being called a liar or a troublemaker is considered “mild” compared to what other victims who have spoken out experienced. The actor who went public with his story of harrassment in the Kevin Spacey case actually got death threats from fans of “House of Cards” who were pissed off that Spacey got fired from the show…not to mention all the bullying and harrassment that he continues to get online even now….
She didn’t name names. She’s new and she needs to be careful because hk has long memory. Hk definitely has such a culture ma6be not casting couch but definitely everyone has a price for something. I don’t disagree with the me too movement but its getting out of hand. what started as noble and brave is becoming a witch hunt. Many are true but some may be questionable. I think they do need to prove what they claim because it is innocent until proven guilty. But for men even if innocen their reputation will be gone. This must be carefully balanced. Report to police, don’t accept settlement because credibility is questioned. Whoever alleges need to back it up. She did, so good for her. Name the guy and let justice do the rest. I find no bravery in women who is in this me too movement who only reached out 20 or 30 years later. In between how many women and children were exploited and raped. I can’t see the silence and then revelation years later as bravery. Thebaudience was right to question because to just accept os damning on the reputation and life of the accused.
@funnlim the circumstances in which these situations occurred to women 20-30 years ago was in a different era and even for those who did come forward, the people they were up against at the time, held too much power and influence to make a dent in their reputation. not to mention, because of this, women back then who did go up against powerful figures were stigmatized and were no longer actively hired in the industry. for the same reason you’re advising Louisa to be careful, the same reason applies to women back then. they saw the examples of abuse and inaction and stigma, so they swallowed it. however, them coming out now, still takes strength, resolve and bravery to address their grievances and swallow their pride. I’m certain that nobody wants their dirty laundry, however aged, to be aired again.
nowadays, in light of the actively powerful online community, this kind of abuse can’t be contained anymore and women, across the spectrum and across all countries, finally have a voice. we should be rejoicing over it, not trying to make it shut up. not to mention, usually when one victim speaks up, it’s not too far off the mark that another victim finds the courage to speak too. one might be circumstantial and not proof of scummy behavior, but two or more and it becomes suspicious if not downright damning. for the same reason why you stated those women who stayed silent on the issue are not innocent, those men who either are aware of this issue who didn’t do anything or are culprit to the same behavior, are equally complicit. I can’t blame them either, but at least the women who were victims have come forward to address it. can’t say the same for the men until people pointed fingers.
@coralie Very , very powerful points and could not be said better.
@funnlim I agree that if they name names, then yes, definitely need to back it up. But in Louisa’s case, it’s completely different because she DIDN’T name names and didn’t intend to – her whole point wasn’t to get anyone in trouble but rather to bring to light that sexual harassment is a serious issue and also bring awareness to the community. People immediately accused her of lying and jumping on the metoo bandwagon to get attention, which in essence forced her to get into specifics with what happened, when, etc. That’s the part I have the most issue with – all she did was say that she had also been a victim of assault in the past and deliberately kept it in a generic sense so as not to implicate anyone, yet the attitude she’s gotten has been along the lines of “out the person or shut the hell up”. In her case, she DID report it to the police, but as she said (and the letter proves), they couldn’t do anything because the incident didn’t happen in HK. Yes, if the accusation is against someone specifically, sure it’s appropriate to question it and make sure all the proof is there, but that’s not how it went down with Louisa’s case, which basically started with a bunch of ignorant netizens who read her post giving her a hard time and then spreading from there.
@funnlim I saw an article the other day where legal experts commented on the whole “witch hunt” aspect of the metoo movement and what they said makes a lot of sense – if the accusations are false, there is legal recourse for those being accused to sue for defamation…plus from a legal sense, it’s easier to prove defamation in court than to prove rape or sexual assault (due to the question of “consent” almost always tied to sexual assault cases). If we look at all of the guys in Hollywood who have been accused of sexual harassment / assault so far, not a single one of them have come out and said the accusations are false or filed defamation suit against the accusers (almost all have admitted to the behavior through some sort of vague statement or apology).
@coralie Well-said and completely agree! I think sometimes people also tend to forget that many of these women weren’t yet adults when they were assaulted 20, 30 years ago and many of them may not even realize what had actually occurred. Like with Vera Lui’s case for example, she was sexually harassed by her coach (an adult whom she knew and trusted) when she was only 13 or 14 years old and at the time, she was too young to really understand what was going on – so should we condemn her for not saying anything when she was 13 and instead choosing to speak out now so many years later? That’s the attitude we’ve been seeing a lot with the whole “why didn’t you say anything back then” mentality (not just in HK but in Hollywood too) and that is the primary argument being used in a lot of these cases to try to “discredit” the victims who speak out. To me, that’s a huge issue, but unfortunately not something that is easily fixed obviously…
@llwy12 what can I say….. as always, I enjoy reading what you say. Always appreciate your logic. Could not have said it better.
@funnlim no funnlim, the me too movement is not getting out of hand. There are countless women and men who have been sexually victimized in this world and if the #MeToo public admission is the begining of a healing process, then let the #MeToo admissions continue. It takes a lot of courage for ANYONE to admit they have been a sexual harassment/assault victim. Society look up to these celebs as role models. They think they (the celebs), are perfect people with perfect lives. If these famous individualjis come forward, it gives the non celebrity folk the courage to share and deal with their own victimization situation, which can in turn be the begining of a slow healing process. There are countless celebrities, men and women, more so women, who have been victims of such harassment and assaults. It is good this kind of henious crime committed againgst anyone is coming to light on a wider scale. We need more #MeToo. Do you know that a lot of people are traumatized and it takes years sometimes for thrm to come forward. They do so only after they gather the courage on their own, or after therapy to speak publicly of their experience. Add the fact that who is going to believe these people over their powerful attackers. If you look at it, these people were not big time A-listers at the time of their victimization. If we pay attention, this does not happen to powerful, seasoned people in the industry. It happens to victims who are just in the door, or are on their way up the stairs. They do not want to be blacklisted, they do not want to lose their bread and butter, or ricebowl. On top of that, who is going to take their side over a powerful individual. Some even are threatened That is why they do not go to the authorities. Those who have low self esteem believe it is their fault. These men and women prey on these people because they know they have the power and they use that power in ruthless ways to silence their victims from ratting them out. I say bring on the #MeToo too slogan and may it never stop.
@funnlim How is it a witch hunt when most of these abusers actually did assault/rape/harass/grope others?? Exactly, MANY are true, but you’re going to downplay the importance of this movement because there are false accusations? That should NOT matter. There will always be false accusations whether there’s a movement or not because there will always be bad seeds in the world. Like someone else has mentioned, these innocent people CAN SUE for defamation. If you have a strong support system and speak out about your innocence, you will be fine. The fact that most of these powerful men aren’t defending themselves is because they are guilty.
Whether someone files a police report or not, we still need to have this conversation. It is a brave and GOOD thing for victims to come out and share their story. I will say, I too am one, and hearing others’ stories have been inspiring and also frightening. Now, I personally would not share mine, but that’s a personal choice! These women let me know I wasn’t alone. Nobody thinks about the guilt the victim feels over not defending him/herself, not stopping things from happening, freezing, etc. And then to have all this backlash when you share your story or even tell your friends??
And it’s not always about naming the guy. The victim has a right to share HER story without the focus being on the abuser. Maybe she wants to share her story so that people can be more vigilant. Not the point!
It infuriates me how people are saying, “oh, why are they waiting 20, 30 years to tell her story.” IT DOES NOT MATTER!!!! It doesn’t matter how much time has passed! It is HER story and she has the right to tell it. Can you unrape someone?!!? Can you wash away the trauma?? Can you pretend like it didn’t happen, and that would in turn, make you braver?? Yea, don’t think so. If you actually think about how much more conservative people/views were 20-30 years ago, you would understand why victims didn’t come out to say anything. Look at how powerful Cosby was. So many women have accused him over the years and nothing happened until Hannibal Buress talked about him in his stand up?? It’s crazy! And it took the New York Times article to out Weinstein when everyone knew he was a rapist and womanizer. All I’m saying is it’s called a movement because things are finally happening. How? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING OUT!!! And sharing your story is NOT easy.
@lyu310 Wow!!, what a brave woman you are. Thank you for sharing your story with us. You did not say much personally, but what you wrote can only come from a victim. I have never been raped, but I have friends who have been, or have been harassed. I also work with patients who have been. After I do my bit, they are then turned over to psychiatrists, therapists and other professionals to try and begin the real healing. The physical healing oftentimes happens, but the mental, psychological and emotional scars never fully go away. With enough self will, love, and help, victims learn to cope but their lives are never the same. I hope you have a positive loving environment of people to embrace you. Again you are a brave woman.
No matter what, it was not your fault, you are not to blame. You are an innocent , beautiful human being first and foremost.
@bubbletea Thank you for your kind words! (You made me tear up.) Yes, the healing really takes time. I lost a few high school friends because after the incident they basically said I acted differently, and although that hurt as well, it was truly for the better (good riddance to people who do not support or understand you). It is truly crazy how one incident can change the course of your life.
I grew up very shy with very low self esteem (lived near a lot of older Chinese women who would comment on my weight and looks even though I was never fat). So when that incident happened, I didn’t even think the guy was targeting me.
But that happened, and I went through ~6 months where I “wasn’t myself,” doing a lot of things the old me didn’t do (hey, at least I didn’t do drugs right lol jk), but along the way, I found my boyfriend. My first boyfriend and first love. It’s been 5 years, and I’m sure he’s the one. If none of this happened, I wouldn’t have met him, so for that, I’m grateful.
Thank you again, bubbletea 🙂
No funnlim, the MeToo movement is not getting out of hand. There are countless men and women who have been victimised in this world, and if the MeToo admission is the beginning of a healing process, or it gives others the strength to come forward with their own personal admission, then let it continue. It takes a lot of courage for someone, famous or not, to admit that they are victims of such harassment or assault. Society looks up to these celebrities as role models. People think the celebs are perfect people with perfect lives If these famous individuals come forward with their experiences, it gives the non celebs the courage to come forth with their own victimisation experience, which can in turn be the beginning of a slow healing process. There are countless celebrities, men and women, more so women, who have been victims of such heinous harassment and assaults. It is good that this kind of unspeakable crime, committed against anyone is coming to light on such a wide scale. The MeToo movement needs to be continued.
A lot of victims are traumatised and it takes years for some of them to deal with or come forward to admit what they went through. The victims sometimes only come forward after years of silently dealing with it and they gather the courage to publicly admit what happened after many years of soul searching on their own, or extensive therapy from professionals. Add the fact that when these victims suffer at the hands of rich and powerful people, they ask themselves, ‘who is going to believe my word over his/hers?’
If you look at it, all the celebrities who were accosted were not the big names that they are today at the time that they were harassed/attacked. The assaults happened at the hands of powerful agents, producers, directors, studio owners, etc. A lot of these victims keep quiet because they and their loved ones are threatened, they don’t want to lose their rice bowl, they don’t want to be blacklisted, they are scared and powerless and shocked at what is happening. They believe it is their fault and no one will believe them, or it can be all of these factors, or some of these factors.
These powerful people use their power like a ruthless sword to get their sick way because they know they can make promises or threats to their victims. If we pay attention, this will not happen to these women today because of their status in the entertainment business now.. It happens to makeup artists, dressers, up and coming actors, actresses, models, singers, athletes delivery people up and coming designers, all the people behind the scenes. Angelina Jolie or Gwyneth Palthrow will not be harassed by the likes of Harvey Weinstein today. He did it when they were vulnerable up and coming actresses. Just because someone wants to make it in the business does not make it right that they should be subject to being harassed/assaulted.
ALL MEN AND WOMEN, NO MATTER HOW RICH OR POOR THEY ARE, SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE WITH BEING SE*UALLY ABUSED BY THOSE IN AUTHORITY OF THEM, OR BY ANYONE.
@bubbletea All great points — absolutely well-said! It’s definitely not a coincidence that many of the accused perpetrators are people in positions of power – that is precisely the reason why they have been able to get away with it for some many years. And you’re absolutely right in that the victims are often those who are most vulnerable, such as up-and-coming actresses, behind-the-scenes people, etc.
Related to your points, here’s a more recent (and relevant, as it’s about HK) example of why movements like metoo are so important in forcing environments such as the entertainment industry (and society as a whole) to change their attitudes toward sexual harassment / assault.
Not sure how many people know this but it was a hot topic in HK news last week (though not all mainstream media outlets reported on it). The Harvey Weinstein thing has extended to Hong Kong as well now, which of course shouldn’t be surprising given Weinstein and his company’s ties to the city and to Asia in general (Miramax had a pretty huge presence in the Asia movie market). Seven women (mostly Asian actresses) came forward recently accusing Weinstein’s right hand man, his company’s Asia VP of Operations Bey Logan of sexual harassment – one of the women is a former TVB actress who had also been harassed by Weinstein himself during one of his many visits to HK. Hearing these women recount their stories is painful because it’s very obvious that there is a huge issue with society and people’s attitudes (both within the entertainment industry and outside of it). In the cases against Logan, one of the actresses who was harassed by Logan throughout the entire time she was filming one of his movies said that she had tried to quit on several occasions but Logan would always threaten her with legal action due to his wife being a powerful lawyer. She also said that he would harass her out in the open in front of the crew (disgusting stuff like touching her breasts or making her take off her top in between takes for “inspection”) and when she tried to say something, the others would snicker and say she deserved it because the movie she was a part of was a category III and involved some nudity (obviously twisted logic — who cares what type of movie they are filming, that’s no excuse to harrass someone). She was so traumatized by the experience that she had to get psychological counseling and is still seeing a therapist even now. Another actress said that Logan forced himself on her one night when they were in her room discussing some scenes for the documentary they were filming – fortunately she was able to get away from him unharmed but she said that when she confided in others about what had happened, most of the people didn’t believe her and even said that it’s her own fault for letting him into her room that night. Yet another actress was sent by Logan to meet Weinstein in his hotel room to discuss a role in his movie – Weinstein of course made sexual advances towards her and when she refused, he basically told her she wouldn’t get the part. She left and complained to Logan on the way out but he brushed her off and told her that by agreeing to meet Weinstein in his hotel room, she was implying consent to whatever he was going to do.
To those who say “report it to the police and let them deal with it” — honestly, in the examples above, what good does it do to report it to the police? Who are they going to believe, especially when it’s a no-name struggling actress’s word against that of a big name, powerful executive? And with no physical proof? With several of the cases that occurred in Hollywood, the victim(s) did go to the police but since there was not enough evidence, nothing was done. Louisa went to the police in her case but they couldn’t do anything because it was outside of their jurisdiction. Vera Lui chose not to go to the police at all and as a result, was lambasted by netizens as well as general public in HK (their mentality is that if you didn’t file a police report, then the harassment didn’t happen) – luckily for her, the entire sports community in HK stood behind her, especially when they found out who the coach was and that he had a track record for sexually abusing young girls, so all the athletes joined together to release a statement that got the coach fired from his job (yes, he was still coaching – and likely still abusing – young girls)…now whether charges will be pressed against him is a whole different matter altogether…
@llwy12“To those who say “report it to the police and let them deal with it” — honestly, in the examples above, what good does it do to report it to the police? Who are they going to believe, especially when it’s a no-name struggling actress’s word against that of a big name, powerful executive? And with no physical proof? With several of the cases that occurred in Hollywood, the victim(s) did go to the police but since there was not enough evidence, nothing was done. Louisa went to the police in her case but they couldn’t do anything because it was outside of their jurisdiction. Vera Lui chose not to go to the police at all and as a result, was lambasted by netizens as well as general public in HK (their mentality is that if you didn’t file a police report, then the harassment didn’t happen) – luckily for her, the entire sports community in HK stood behind her, especially when they found out who the coach was and that he had a track record for sexually abusing young girls, so all the athletes joined together to release a statement that got the coach fired from his job (yes, he was still coaching – and likely still abusing – young girls)…now whether charges will be pressed against him is a whole different matter altogether…”
I think it’s unfortunate when there are limitations involved with police involvement (e.g. reporting incidents many years later which leads to difficulty in providing evidence or in Louisa’s case outside jurisdiction, etc). It is upsetting that some people don’t want to report due to backlash and not being taken seriously by the public. However, maybe I am taking this quote incorrectly, but I still think police have an important role in delivering justice and victims should still be encouraged to report these matters. Cannot omit them and leave the public to take matters into their own hands all the time. The latter can result in dangerous consequences if handled inappropriately.
I think the key point is that any allegations of sexual harassment must be taken seriously regardless of the social profile of the accused and accuser. Louisa is spot on in stating the importance of maintaining evidence.
@kirigiri Yes, you are correct in that police have an important role in delivering justice and by no means was my comment intended to say that police shouldn’t get involved or victims shouldn’t report it. My response was more toward the assertion from funnlim’s comment that the metoo movement was getting out of hand due to people possibly being falsely accused and therefore the more prudent route would be for victims to report to the police and let the issue be dealt with that way. I am certainly not against reporting to the authorities, but 1) I feel that victims shouldn’t be forced to report it if they don’t want to for whatever reason and 2) it’s important to make the distinction that the point of the metoo movement is to bring awareness (and hopefully force a change in attitude in terms of people taking sexual harassment seriously) and not to put people on trial so the whole reporting to police element shouldn’t even be relevant. If we look at most of those who spoke out via metoo, most did not name names except for those whose harrassers were already publicly outed and even then, very few cases got police involved because that wasn’t the point of the movement. This is why I have a problem with people saying that instead of speaking out about their issue on social media, victims should just report it to police and let them handle it (this was the prevalent attitude in both Vera and Louisa’s cases — instead of applauding the women’s bravery for speaking out, the first question that came out of most people’s mouths in both cases was: if what you say is true, why didn’t you report it to the police? — which basically implies that if you didn’t report it to the police, then it didn’t truly happen and therefore you are lying). If victims want to report it, then sure, report it but just because they don’t/didn’t report it doesn’t mean a) that their story isn’t true and b) that they shouldn’t be allowed to speak about it or share their story in a public forum.
@llwy12
Thanks for the clarification. you raise great points. I do support people speaking it out on social media and reporting to legal authorities – both are highly encouraged. Agreed that main takeaway from MeToo movement is to spread awareness and speak out as opposed to remaining silent. There certainly are a lot of complex reasons for why victims don’t report immediately and places a lot of unneeded obstacles, which is unfortunate and frustrating.
“This is why I have a problem with people saying that instead of speaking out about their issue on social media, victims should just report it to police and let them handle it (this was the prevalent attitude in both Vera and Louisa’s cases — instead of applauding the women’s bravery for speaking out, the first question that came out of most people’s mouths in both cases was: if what you say is true, why didn’t you report it to the police? — which basically implies that if you didn’t report it to the police, then it didn’t truly happen and therefore you are lying). If victims want to report it, then sure, report it but just because they don’t/didn’t report it doesn’t mean a) that their story isn’t true and b) that they shouldn’t be allowed to speak about it or share their story in a public forum.”
I am totally on board with you that the whole “you didn’t report to the police, you are lying and seeking attention” mindset is dangerous. It really discourages people from speaking out and seeking help ASAP in general. This toxic mindset needs to be eliminated due to the adverse consequences on victims.
@bubbletea Nicely said! Agree with everything you’ve written. I can only hope that those who chose to abuse others face their consequences.
@dandan I hope so too dandan, I hope so too. It is time these sick predators face the full extent of the law.
I think all people should out against the harassers, especially those who think they are better than others and have the right to take advantage of people in vulnerable circumstances.
Speaking out about an incident from decades ago may not help that particular victim, but it does encourage victims who are being abused now that they should speak out as it is not a tolerable thing they have to put up with.
I am not disparaging the victims. Justice delayed is justice denied. Yes so happens these creeps did do ir, whilst some as they denies there are others accusing. Its a cesspool. But it comes to a point is all you nees is an accusation plus similar pattern and the particular guy is punished socially. But legally there is no process and no rule of law. An accusation plus a few more determines the guilt on the eyes of public. It ia trial by media and public opinion. That’s is why I am wary. It helps to those to come out and report to police. Some countries have statutory limit to rape or sexual assault and even murder. That’s why if there’s a case ot must be pursued. Again I understand the stigma and consequence. And you are all correct. The victim rarely named but the accused is named and shamed. So if the accusation turns out to be false or not the complete picture, the accused now the victim has a choice of suing for defamation. He may win some money and a public apology. But that ordeal will last years and in the end reputation already completely destroyed, career is over and he can never clear his name. Defamation suit does not help. So me too has to be careful and reported as early. Someone accused another what happened 40 years ago. Usually innocent until proven guilty. But in 40 years the evidence the proof all gone. What we have is a pattern to prove behaviour but it is sometimes very difficult to build a case. We see from the victims now stretching to male actors when they were children. Hollywood has a pedophile ring, I am sure. But in the end the rule of law is gone. That’s why I said it is a witch hunt including those who said things people don’t like. Whilst police build a case the accused who isn’t charged yet may lose career and more. If he was guilty fine.. If he wasn’t that’s when things get difficult.
Me too has basis but how they go about it isn’t proper. And this is Hollywood who celebrates Roman polanski. Everybody knew weinstein by reputation and etc. Its not a huge surprise. And nothing done for years because each is taking care of self interest.
I do believe chinese or Asian entertainment world especially Korean world is even worse but no one will come forward yet. And the more time passes the less there is a case. It descends to he says she says. Past pattern or behaviour isn’t admissable in court unless to show a pattern. In America rarely allowed. In the end evidence is not enough and these creeps walk. Justice denied. That could be the scenario.
@funnlim obviously you have not really taken in what myself, Elizabeth, Coralie, //wy12 and Lyu310 had to say. Sometimes there is evidence and yet still these powerful vultures do not pay for their crimes. They make threats to these vulnerable victims. They threatened their lives, and those of their loved ones. Love is a very powerful thing, and when the lives of your dear ones are threatened, people will sadly endure a grievous silence to protect their loved ones. There are so many factors that have prevented others from coming forward. Look at what happened to them. Louisa Mak and Vera Lui were ridiculed and cursed out by the ignorant, backward public. They were made to look like they are making their stories up. These are the things happening in the 2000s. Imagine 20 to 30 years ago what would happen to women and men coming up against these highly revered men. Add threats, intimidation, and the fact that they are up and coming artists to the ingredients and you have a recipe for silence out of fear. Yes fear, that is what these predators feed on.
With times changing and women and men seeking professional help more, like I said, they can now come forward and face what happened to them all those years ago. Add social media and the admissions of these victims help encourage recent victims to come forward as well. Like Lyu310 said, a victim can’t be unraped but it does not mean that they did not get raped even if ith comes to light years after. Like I said, police have buried rape files and evidence of guilty powerful men. That is why I am a hundred and fifty percent in support of MeToo.
@funnlim
Here is some scientific evidence for you: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100408125722/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hors293.pdf
Though “false rape accusations” make for a good bogeyman, they are both rare and, according to the best evidence we have, shockingly obvious. Quartz recently published a round-up of the available research on false rape allegations, finding in the most detailed study ever conducted, “out of 216 complaints that were classified as false, only 126 had even gotten to the stage where the accuser lodged a formal complaint. Only 39 complainants named a suspect. Only six cases led to an arrest, and only two led to charges being brought before they were ultimately deemed false.” And furthermore, the research finds that false accusers tend to fit a recognizable profile: “[Almost] invariably, adult false accusers who persist in pursuing charges have a previous history of bizarre fabrications or criminal fraud.” Finally, these accusers usually make claims of exceptionally violent sexual assault—if they want to frame somebody, there’s no point in framing them for a crime that might be dismissed as “minor.
“False rape allegations” are nowhere near enough of a threat to justify derailing #MeToo and its quest to bring justice to survivors. False allegations exist—but they’re rare, they’re bizarre, and they’re easy to expose. Sexual violence, meanwhile, is neither rare nor strange. It happens every day, mostly to women. Those facts should bring some solace to any innocent man who is genuinely terrified of being falsely accused. But they also mean that when a normally trustworthy woman gives us an ordinary-sounding account of assault or harassment, she is probably not making it up. It means, in other words, that you should believe women—not because you have an obligation to ignore the facts, but because the facts say women aren’t lying.
Source for further reading: https://qz.com/980766/the-truth-about-false-rape-accusations/
Kudos to Louisa for speaking out on this important matter. The more people speak up, they are spreading awareness in tackling this horrific crime. No one, regardless of gender and age, should stay silent on sexual harassment/assault. They need to act out.
False allegations exist unfortunately but they should definitely NOT be used to dismiss any allegations of such serious crimes. In actual cases of false accusations, the accuser should be punished accordingly as they would be insulting actual victims of sexual harassment.