All of the film’s crew went home from the trial of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, trending hashtags died in support of the actor “Pirates of the Caribbean”, and late-night presenters stepped in to satirize the next big thing. What’s left of a very popular libel trial is what everyday victims of gender-based violence do in mental math right now, trying to figure out if it’s worth speaking out loud when it’s better to keep quiet.
After giving six weeks of live testimony, a Virginia jury found a 2018 Washington Post article by Heard, which identified survivors of intimate partner violence as a defamation against her ex-husband Depp. Herd had to pay Depp $ 10.35 million in total damages, a good price for not mentioning his ex -wife in this job. And, especially, in The Cost that Could Make Herd Fail.
The court was a real media circus that constantly dragged Herd’s character into the mud. Large number of social media users (And possibly a large number of bots) He has spent most of the past two months reviewing Herd’s allegations, often accusing him of being a notoriously hungry liar. For any of the women who have accused a famous man of violence this is not new. But Depp’s sheer number of loyal fans, even in the context of celebrity culture, is surprising.
And worse, there are few people who very quickly understand how our collective discussions affect victims of sexual and domestic violence in Herd’s home.
Any tweet calling Herd a “liar”; Depp’s support crowd mentality; Solve Depp’s violent story because Herd was violent once. Survivors and victims read it all and remember who is safe to reveal in their lives and who is not.
Heard during the trial Defendant Depp suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse, often caused by his alleged use of alcohol and drugs, during their four-year relationship. Depp said Herd physically abused their relationship and denied all allegations of physical abuse on his part.
Herd responded to the verdict Wednesday, calling it a “failure” for women, “at a time when a woman who speaks and speaks can be embarrassed and embarrassed in public.”
“It rejects the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously,” she added.
Defamation complaints are the most commonly used weapon in the arsenal of weapons by criminals to silence their victims. Especially the abusive ones who have more money or power. Also in the time of Me, where many famous men were defeated, left and right were complaints of slander. Although pop culture sometimes belittles us for how these lawsuits have affected the allegations – many of them are famous white women with money as well – it’s not just celebrities who face defamation lawsuits .
More than 1 in 5 surviving students who report an attack at a school are threatened with a libel report. Report 2021 From your sexual abuse organization Know your IX. Nearly 20% of schools warn in advance that if they continue to file lawsuits, they could sue for libel. And 10% of surviving students who report to their school have a counterclaim filed against them by offenders. Half of those faced with the revenge report left school or moved.
“This case has created a roadmap that will be used against the abused,” said Emma Grasso Levine, manager of Know Your IX.
“The smear campaign against Amber Heard – a survivor of intimate partner violence – is not a tactic of silence and discredit that only affects celebrities,” Grasso Levine added. “Surviving students who speak up and speak out are often subjected to retaliation for public attacks and libel complaints by their abusers and others to silence them. This case is just one example of growing and disruptive reaction of the justice movement of survivors ’and abusers’ using systems designed to help survivors hurt even more.
“As people face this case, the victims will no doubt fall across the country.”
And these statistics are only for survivors who report violence. What about people who can only be identified as victims – like Herd – and have not yet faced revenge?
Dr. Nicole Bedera, a sociologist focused on gender-based violence, spoke to HuffPost last month about the outcome of a decision in favor of Depp.
“The main issue here is whether women have the right to publicly identify victims of gender -based violence,” she said. In this article, Amber Heard pleads in support of other survivors during Me Too. “Such a political organization was not very controversial then, but now it is becoming controversial.”
Whether you love Herd – Hell, believe it or not – it doesn’t make sense.
How people are treated in this process will undoubtedly affect victims across the country. Ordinary people: your sister, your best friend, your niece. People have to decide to quit college or go to class with their abusers. People who have to decide to go into HR will actually stop sexual harassment at work or make things worse. People want to find community after the attack but realize that only the identities of the survivors can be brought to court and may even go bankrupt.
Source: Huffpost
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.