Weinstein goes to hell and it is a victory for all women everywhere

In the second and simultaneous news, Welsh singer Duffy who had been flying under the radar for some time has put up a shocking Insta post, saying she was held captive and subjected to rape recently. 'Many of you wonder what happened to me, where did I disappear to and why,’ she says in the post. 'The truth is, and please trust me I am ok and safe now, I was raped and drugged and held captive over some days. Of course I survived.’

And though she adds, ‘The recovery took time. There’s no light way to say it. But I can tell you in the last decade, the thousands and thousands of days I committed to wanting to feel the sunshine in my heart again, the sun does now shine,’ the fact remains that she is talking of great trauma here.

While Weinstein’s imprisonment represents a landmark win for the #MeToo movement worldwide, Duffy’s words stop us from celebrating in a big way. When crimes against women – molestation, sexual assaults, rapes – carry on unabated and so openly, such wins remain inconsequential.

Weinstein will surely pen his jail diaries, trying to exonerate himself. Duffy will hopefully give out more details, especially about the identity of the culprit, and put him behind bars. Truth is, rape does not end with one conviction.

What happens in Rape World usually remains in Rape World. Any information runs the risk of being dismissed as rumours or a downright lie. It is easier to shrug these things off and blame the victim than stand still, listen, believe and punish the guilty.

Yes, speech around this has turned fluent. No finger is pointed at the victim/survivor anymore. That traditional worry about ‘what will everyone think of me?’ has died a natural death. Women have understood that under the new Sister Act, one has to talk, one has to name and shame, as a measure of safety for others and future prevention of similar crimes.