Not all women harassed by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein are happy with his arrest. While Rose McGowan, one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment, spoke about her happiness after he turned himself in to the NYPD on May 25, others claim otherwise. Accusers like actress Annabella Sciorra are saying that Weinstein being arrested on two rape charges brought her “no relief.”
The actress shared a series of Tweets:
The smirk on his face as he was led out of the police station in cuffs made me physically sick. The public statement from his lawyer was intended only to denigrate all the brave women who came forward and spoke out against him.
— Annabella Sciorra (@AnnabellSciorra) May 27, 2018
Last year, Annabella Sciorra came out publicly to accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape. She spoke out about his behaviour as several surfaced in the public, explaining his sexual misconduct. This incident occurred in her New York apartment in the ‘90s.
And I got no relief from seeing this monster walk into court, then sneak out the back door after posting a million dollar bond. All that says is, money buys VIP treatment in the justice system no matter how serious or violent the crimes.
— Annabella Sciorra (@AnnabellSciorra) May 27, 2018
Now, that the law finally seems to be catching up, many are saying it's not enough as Weinstein is out on a $1 million bail. Sciorra is expressing how angry she is at this outcome. “The law finally caught up with Harvey Weinstein on Friday and charged him with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. But nothing about that felt celebratory to me,” she tweeted on Sunday.
Sciorra also explained why the celebration about Weinstein being arrested is meaningless because his money and power make a mockery of the system.
“Compare that to the case of Kalief Browder, who was denied bail after being accused of a misdemeanor, then spent four years in Rikers, over half of it in solitary confinement, awaiting a trial that never occurred,” Sciorra tweeted. “If there was truly ’equal justice under the law’, Harvey Weinstein would be behind bars in Rikers today, waiting for his own day in court, not free to roam New York, his other hunting ground, wearing an ankle bracelet.”
Compare that to the case of Kalief Browder, who was denied bail after being accused of a misdemeanor, then spent four years in Rikers, over half of it in solitary confinement, awaiting a trial that never occurred.
— Annabella Sciorra (@AnnabellSciorra) May 27, 2018
If there was truly ’equal justice under the law’, Harvey Weinstein would be behind bars in Rikers today, waiting for his own day in court, not free to roam New York, his other hunting ground, wearing an ankle bracelet.
— Annabella Sciorra (@AnnabellSciorra) May 27, 2018
In an essay for Time, Ashley Judd, another accuser, also echoed the same sentiment, saying she “didn’t have a reaction” to Weinstein's arrest.
Judd ridiculed the law, saying someone “can navigate the duality of having aggressed and address their abuse of power with culpability and integrity”.
"What Harvey Weinstein's Arrest Does — And Doesn't — Change for the #MeToo Movement"
"As I spoke with others for whom the ground was shaking, I realized my feeling was that a sexual predator being legally accountable for criminal behavior is and should be normal, routine and not particularly newsworthy. And I also understood why it is thunderous news."
Paz de la Huerta too shared her feelings about his arrest. “I just felt extremely emotional today,” de la Huerta told Vanity Fair. “I couldn’t stop crying. I don’t know why. It should be a day of celebration, but I feel melancholic about it all.”
"Part of me is very happy, and part of me is sad. It brings up a lot of painful memories, and it also gives me hope that justice does exist.”
In November last year, the actress had accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her twice in 2010.
This thread is so important. I feel the same way, there was no jubilation although I was heartened that he was starting the process of standing trial.
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) May 27, 2018
Thank you Lucia Evans and Paz de la Huerta and all of us who said no more .@MiraSorvino Today is our day https://t.co/xpEyf3grdo
— Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) May 25, 2018
Also Read: Law alone can’t deter sexual harassment at workplace