The excesses of #MeToo – Depp/Heard trial

Five years after the democratization of the #MeToo movement, this phenomenon has become eminently political. Johnny Depp has been banned from a large number of movie sets before he’s even been judged, so is this the embodiment of #MeToo excesses? Does the harassment and threats against Amber Heard for denouncing the American actor’s violence call into question women’s freedom of speech? The debate is open.

Justice in the media, not in the courtroom

According to Maitre Sophie Obadia, if French justice comes to such a caricature with “trial-emojis”, it will be the end of the rule of law. In fact, according to Sophie Obadia, we are in a new era where excessive staging of trials is leading us to stop judging on evidence. Proof, however, is the rule of law.

The status of speech and the status of truth

Sophie Obadia explains that in France, the relationship with the truth is very different from that in the United States. In France, we can lie, but in the United States it’s perjury. What’s more, the Depp/Heard trial is a defamation suit; we’re judging a media act, not a case of sexual violence. What’s more, the excessive staging of this trial distracts us from reality. We’ve come a long way from the French method, according to which the search for truth is based on evidence.

The victim’s “story

Sophie Obadia explains that it’s up to the courts to gather testimony and corroborate it with evidence.
Maître Sophie Obadia acknowledges the lack of dignity shown to women presumed to be victims. She hopes that their testimony will be gathered in more dignified conditions.

The art of nuance

In France, unlike in the United States, we have what is known as “the art of nuance”. This means that two sexual assault cases are treated very differently. Rape and verbal aggression on the subway are not the same thing.

The figures given are regularly biased. For example, when we announce that “70% of complaints of sexual violence are dismissed”, we don’t know whether it’s a case of verbal aggression, attempted aggression, sexual harassment or rape.

Lack of legal culture

Sophie Obadia deplores the lack of legal culture in France. So much so, that the heart of this trial has been forgotten: defamation.

The presumption of innocence: the case of the Abad Affair

Sophie Obadia considers that Damien Abad cannot really be considered presumed innocent, since the proceedings have been closed. The principle is therefore not applicable. But in media terms, he must be considered presumed innocent, since no judge has found him guilty. If we don’t accept this, we fall into the American model.

You can replay the entire debate on France Tv.