Why are Women’s Stories of Assault So Unbelievable?
If you’ve ever been disbelieved for telling the truth, you know how much it hurts.
When I told a guy I was dating I was writing a piece about the allegations against Woody Allen in the continued wake of the #metoo revelations, he sent me an article explaining how his partner Mia Farrow’s behaviour towards their children was questionable too. It was written by a woman, which made it seem more credible.
It didn’t change my thoughts on the situation, but it made me write a different article. This one.
The worrying trend in cases like this is that when women come forward in support of men, it lends credence to their already presumed innocence. As with Scarlett Johansson voicing her support of Allen, it makes it that much harder for other women to break rank from the sisterhood and tell a story that expresses an opposing view.
Okay, there aren’t scores of women coming forward with stories about Woody molesting them or even behaving inappropriately on set.
I concede that this is different from many of the cases of men in the industry but is this cause for celebration? He maybe didn’t keep it in his pants, but at least he kept it in the family. Well done, Woody?
