One thing that links many of the recent cases of abuse of power, abuse of position and harassment is the fact that the abuser is often someone in a position of power and wealth.  What often also follows is that there is an Out of Court settlement (such as the one made this year by Bill O’Reilly for $32m) in which the accuser agrees to drop all allegations.  The net result is that via such a settlement, a guilty (and rich) person, can effectively bypass prosecution and maintain an officially clean reputation; and thus it is possible that the cycle of abuse continues; which, if we are to believe what the New York Times says, is exactly what Harvey Weinstein has been doing for the past several decades!!

Why then do we allow such settlements?  From my perspective, harassment and abuse of this type is not only a crime against the abused person, but also a crime against society – as it reinforces negative behaviour and negative stereotypes.  Perhaps then we should, in such a light, view settlements of this type as a crime itself – a crime against society which allows a culture of abuse to be perpetuated and not permit that such settlements be made.

Money should never be a way out – for as long as it is, people will be provided a motivation to do anything at all to gain that power; and we therefore effectively perpetuate the very behaviour we try to legislate against.

If we are truly all to be equal in the eyes of the law, then we must all come under its gaze – we cannot allow people to hide behind their money.