Washington, DC (Thursday, June 12, 2025)—The outcome in the Harvey Weinstein retrial is a stark reminder of the challenges survivors face in the pursuit of justice.
The bravery of the women who spoke out against Weinstein, especially those who were called upon to do so again in this retrial, should inspire all Americans to stand behind survivors.
We believe it is critical that juries be allowed to hear about similar prior bad acts on the part of the defendant, even when charges have not been brought. This kind of testimony gives a jury the context it needs to understand a pattern of predatory behavior.
We cannot know if keeping this information from the jury in this case is what prevented a conviction on all counts. What we do know — especially in sexual assault cases – is that juries deserve the full picture of a person’s conduct when assessing a charge. Some try to dismiss cases like these as he said/she said. But the reality is that we should be equipping juries with everything they need to find the truth.
Preventing such evidence from being introduced obscures the full picture and undermines the ability of jurors to reach informed decisions.
The more victims speak out against sexual violence and are supported by the friends, family and – yes – the public, the more survivors who have been silent feel confident enough to come forward and seek their own justice.
There is legislation in New York and other states, which RAINN has advocated for, that amends the rules of evidence to allow evidence of a defendant's similar prior sexual offenses to be admissible in a case. It would ensure that patterns of criminal behavior are shown in court so that juries have complete information when reaching a verdict.
There’s a reason people are calling this “the Weinstein law.”
These bills allow for the testimony of survivors to establish critical patterns of behavior by offenders in order to offer a jury a complete picture. This doesn’t only impact Weinstein, but every future case and every survivor's confidence in the system to come forward.
The bill has not yet been passed by the NY legislature, but if this retrial shows us anything, it’s that this bill cannot wait.
RAINN remains committed to supporting survivors and advocating for a legal system that gives every survivor a fair chance at justice.
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About RAINN
RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, help organizations improve their sexual assault prevention and response programs, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, free, confidential help is available 24/7 by calling 800.656.HOPE (4673) or visiting hotline.RAINN.org.
Contact:
media@rainn.org