Sexual Violence, Power and Silence: A Post-COVID Global Reckoning

 

For decades, societies across the world lived with a paradox: sexual violence, domestic abuse and psychological coercion were widespread, yet structurally silenced.

Fear, shame, family pressure, social reputation and institutional delay ensured that most cases never reached public visibility. This silence affected women, children, and men alike, although women remained disproportionately exposed to sexual and domestic violence due to persistent structural inequalities.

Long before 2019, abuse of power and sexual coercion were already deeply embedded issues across all continents. What changed in the last decade was not only the reality of violence — but its visibility.

COVID-19: The accelerator of hidden violence

COVID-19 was identified in China in late 2019. The World Health Organization declared an international emergency on 30 January 2020 and a global pandemic on 11 March 2020.

Lockdowns created unprecedented conditions:

• forced cohabitation
• social isolation
• unemployment and financial stress
• increased alcohol consumption
• psychological distress
• reduced access to external support systems

Across multiple countries, researchers and NGOs reported increases in domestic violence indicators during lockdown periods, even if reporting mechanisms varied significantly between regions.

The result was widely described by observers as a “silent escalation” of domestic abuse.

Gendered visibility and hidden victims

Public discourse after COVID-19 overwhelmingly focused on violence against women — and rightly so, given the scale of reported cases globally. However, this visibility also exposed a second layer: under-recognised male victims and child victims, often less likely to report abuse due to stigma and social expectations.

At the same time, legal systems across Europe, North America and Australia recorded increased reporting rates, while many parts of Africa and South Asia continued to face structural barriers such as under-reporting, limited institutional access and strong cultural stigma around disclosure.

Global data consistently shows that violence against women remains a major worldwide issue, with significant proportions of women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, while most cases remain unreported.

#MeToo and the transformation of testimony

The #MeToo movement, which gained global momentum from 2017 onwards, marked a turning point in how societies interpret consent, harassment and abuse of power.

Women who had remained silent for years began to speak publicly. Courts, media and institutions were forced to re-examine long-standing cultural norms.

However, this shift also generated tension:

• concerns about due process
• debates on presumption of innocence
• fear of reputational damage from public accusations
• growing anxiety among some men regarding social interaction boundaries

This created a complex social landscape where empowerment and fear coexisted.

High-profile cases and public attention

Several high-profile cases have shaped global perception of sexual abuse and power dynamics.

Jeffrey Epstein (United States / international case)

The case of Jeffrey Epstein became one of the most symbolic scandals involving allegations of sexual exploitation, trafficking and abuse of minors within networks linked to wealth and influence.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. He died in custody the same year, officially ruled a suicide. His case remains central to global discussions about elite networks, accountability and institutional failure.

Dominique Pelicot (France)

In France, the case involving Dominique Pelicot and Gisèle Pelicot shocked public opinion.

According to court proceedings reported in France, Dominique Pelicot was accused of drugging his wife over several years and facilitating sexual assaults by other men while she was unconscious. The case, uncovered in 2020 and later tried in Avignon in 2024, became one of the most widely discussed cases of chemical submission and systemic sexual abuse in Europe.

Dozens of co-accused men were also brought before the courts, highlighting questions about consent, responsibility and group behaviour.

Gérard Depardieu (France)

French actor Gérard Depardieu has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault in different legal complaints and investigations. He denies wrongdoing, and proceedings have varied in status, reflecting the complexity and ongoing nature of legal processes.

Patrick Bruel (France)

Singer and actor Patrick Bruel has also been named in public allegations and investigations related to inappropriate behaviour. He has denied wrongdoing in cases reported by the media.

These cases illustrate a broader societal shift: public figures are increasingly subject to scrutiny, and allegations alone can carry major social consequences even before judicial conclusions.

False accusations, justice and public debate

One of the most sensitive and polarising aspects of the post-MeToo era is the question of false allegations.

Legal studies generally indicate that false reporting exists but represents a minority of cases in most jurisdictions, while under-reporting of sexual violence remains a far larger documented issue.

However, professionals working in courts and law enforcement occasionally encounter cases where accusations are not substantiated or lead to acquittal. These cases, although statistically limited, can have significant personal and social consequences.

The challenge for modern justice systems is therefore not ideological, but structural:

to ensure protection for victims while preserving the presumption of innocence and evidentiary rigor.

A society in transition

Post-COVID society is marked by contradictory dynamics:

• greater visibility of sexual and domestic violence
• stronger institutional responses in some regions
• increased public awareness of consent and coercion
• but also growing social anxiety, mistrust and emotional fragmentation

Art, cinema, literature and journalism have increasingly explored themes such as trauma, coercive control, invisible violence, loneliness, psychological abuse and systemic power imbalance.

Conclusion

The modern world is no longer silent about sexual violence.

But it is still deeply divided in how it understands it.

Between exposure and accusation, between protection and doubt, between justice and perception — society is still negotiating the boundaries of truth, power and responsibility.

What remains constant is this:

violence did not begin with awareness, but awareness is now changing how violence is seen, spoken about, and judged.

SAISI