It seems that every day, for the past two months, there is breaking news of another well-known personality who is being accused of sexual assault, molestation, or harassment.
The floodgates first broke open in October when The New Yorker published an explosive story by journalist Ronan Farrow detailing decades of sexual assault and harassment incidents against multiple victims by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
In the original article, 13 victims had shared their horrific stories with Farrow, but since publication, the number of Weinstein victims has grown to more than 100.
The old adage says there is strength in numbers and that certainly appears to be the case here. After the Weinstein story broke, social media was – and still is – flooded by the hashtag #metoo, with thousands of sexual assault victims sharing their stories, no longer willing to stay silent anymore.
As the number of Weinstein’s victims coming forward grew, victims of other well-known people began coming forward. Multiple areas of media have been rocked as allegations continue to be revealed.
Film productions shut down, television shows and book deals canceled as people like Kevin Spacey, Chris Savino, Roy Price, James Toback, Mark Halperin, Michael Oreskes, Jeffrey Tambor, Louis C.K., and Charlie Rose have all been accused by multiple victims of sexual assault and/or harassment.
And over the past two weeks, victims have begun coming forward with accusations against politicians.
The #metoo campaign has not just exposed celebrity sexual predators, but has also revealed that these predators exist in all areas of employment, education, and just about every aspect of our personal lives. Anyone of us is at risk of being sexually assaulted and far too many of us have.
National statistics reveal that at least one in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted. Those numbers are likely much higher since it is estimated that almost 80 percent of victims never report the assault.
It is critical to remember that sexual assault is not just defined as rape. Any type of unwanted and inappropriate touching is a form of sexual assault. This applies to not only men and women in the workforce, but also to students who are on college campuses.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault, report it to law enforcement immediately. The next step is to seek medical attention, even if you don’t think you have any physical injuries. Both police and the medical provider you see can also provide you with the names of various support groups and organization for victims of sexual assault.
You should also consider contacting a New York sexual assault injury attorney. Any type of sexual assault can leave a victim with both physical and emotional injuries. In addition to any criminal charges that may or may not be filed, victims of sexual assault can pursue lawsuits against the offender in civil court.
Our personal injury law firm has successfully represented many sexual assault victims in obtaining justice and financial compensation for the emotional and physical injuries the perpetrator has caused.
Goldstein and Bashner
