A New York court sentenced Harvey Weinstein to 15 years on Sept. 23 for sexually assaulting Miriam Haley. He was already serving a 16-year California sentence for rape. The column argues #MeToo also focused on survivor healing and calls for survivor-centered restorative justice.
Pequeño says activist Tarana Burke coined #MeToo to help survivors heal, not to put every alleged abuser behind bars. She describes restorative justice as repairing harm rather than focusing only on punishment; survivor-centered processes can give the person harmed input and control over timing.
The article cites RAINN figures that four in five perpetrators of sexual violence are never charged and 8% of rape and sexual-assault cases result in convictions. It also cites a 2025 NBC News investigation that found convictions in fewer than 4% of reported acts of sexual violence.
