THE Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial has captivated the entire world for weeks, with most people very early on already confidently picking their side.
Millions watched with bated breath as Depp sat in court and calmly stated that he was a victim of domestic violence.
Now, regardless of which of the Hollywood stars you stand with, this was still, without a doubt, an incredibly powerful moment, where a man, who many would never have suspected of being a victim, made the statement without any shame.
This created the perfect opening for discussion on the prevalence of male domestic violence and its effects on the victims and society in general.
It could have spawned spaces where male victims could finally speak out and share their experiences.
Ironic, don’t you think, when many (not all – just to be clear) men always try and change the narrative when women’s issues are being discussed.
Here you had your chance!
Sure, the odd comment popped up here and there on various threads, however, the overwhelming discussion was around Heard and her alleged lies.
Soon after Depp’s testimony was aired, a flood of merciless jabs started dominating social media in the form of memes, hashtags and videos re-enacting and mocking her testimony.
Whether Heard’s testimony is true or not, there is no doubt that the hatred hurled at Heard and the threads exclaiming “this is why we can’t trust women” would discourage some female victims of sexual assault, gender-based violence and/or domestic violence from speaking out – especially when their abusers are rich and/or powerful.
The risk of being labeled the next Amber Heard is a very real and terrifying possibility with the prevalence of the infamous cancel culture dominating social media in recent times.
There goes the incredible progress made by the #MeToo movement.
And while this all seems gloomy and an inevitable car crash of the movement, I do believe we still have time to switch the narrative.
Our discussions should circle around how we should approach these incidents so that we can assure victims that it is a safe space for them to come, while also not destroying the alleged abuser’s life before he – or she – is proven guilty.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532
