perjantai 9. helmikuuta 2018

The Stigma of Harrassment

Image: Imagesource
In the post-weinstein era the media has been filled with news of sexual harassment. An act that, with certain features, exceeds the line when it becomes a matter of criminal proceedings. The people recently accused of this kind of behavior include certain public figures both in US and in Finland. 

A criminal proceeding including a wealthy person such as Harvey Weinstein will, without a doubt, become very costly and consume a lot of court's time. For public figures such as Mr. Weinstein or Tomi Metsäketo (in Finland) publicity is their main source of income. Mr. Metsäketo, for example, was immediately relieved of his part in a recent television show (”Tähdet, Tähdet”) after the alleged facts broke out. 

The same thing happened with Mr. Smith in Finland, whose contract with Nelonen-tv-station was breached by the station as soon as the news broke out of Mr. Smith filming some of his sex partners without their consent in his apartment. For people making their mainstay income from publicity, a social stigma is catastrophical. 

This obviously applies to everyone of us on some level. Employers seek out information of the people they wish to hire. Social and ethnic values are becoming more important as the customers are interested in the values of the companies. A social stigma may well produce an obstacle for employment. 

The proceedings in producing a stigma have a transaction cost of nearly zero and are hence easy to smite with. An individual, on the other hand, is expected with a certain degree of scrutiny before claiming an action. Crying wolf while pressing charges can have a backfiring result. Social stigmatization produces an awkward problem for justice. A mere hint of guilt is enough to cast a shadow of doubt for a company contracting with a possible sexual harasser. The investor quickly disappear as they do not want to be linked to a scandal. That behavior forces the TV-stations, for example, to judge mere rumors with extreme prejudice. James Franco, allegedly, lost an oscar because of allegations of sexual misconduct, which were later amended as exaggerated.

 At the end of last year the Washington Post reported1 (27.11.17) it was approached by a woman who made accusations against a US senator about sexual harrassment. The accusations turned out to be falsified. When a paper writes a correction the damage is partially done. Often the correction may be a lot smaller than the actual case. Especially in the time of digital media, where the 'yellow press' make their income through clicks on the websites and advertisement. The paper may have minutes to publish a story if it wants to be the first one. The background checks on sources can become negligently ignored. 

The stigmatization in social media violates the Principles of Legality. It must be borne in mind even when the stigmatization offers possibly the most cost-efficient way of prosecution. Yet there is no due process related to the cried out claims of harassment, or other alleged crimes. On the contrary it steals away the society's compassion from the real victims of crimes. 

Dr. George P. Fletcher addresses2 the importance of treating an accused criminal equally as a member of the same society where the victim is positioned. There can be no mistake to this as it would immediately start treating the victim’s rights with greater importance than of those what are granted to the defendant. Only the real victims of crimes should merit the compassion of our society. It is important for the society itself to maintain a predictable future of judgments in criminal law. It cannot be distracted by heart-bleeding stories of those who are afraid to walk the streets in fear of crime. After all the treatment, the punitive institution offers, is executed upon the criminals and not on the victims of crimes.

- Thank you, excuse me and good bye, Puolihalvaantunutkokki.

Viitteet:
1) A Woman Approached the Post with Dramatic – and False - Tale About Roy Moore. - Washington Post. Available online: https://www.washingtonpost.com (viewed on 30.11.17)

2) G. Fletcher. Basic Concepts of Criminal Law. Oxford. 1994, p 39.