Conversations like this need to be handled with nuance, and unfortunately nuance is something that society at large lacks with respect to subjects like this.
The fact of the matter is that society and the institutions that are supposedly in place to protect us are fundamentally broken. Abusers rarely pay for their crimes, and the abused are rarely given the justice they deserve. The #MeToo movement was born out of the ashes of a fundamentally flawed system. It would be fantastic if victims could go to the authorities, and the process played out in a way where you wouldn't have better luck winning big at the casino than seeing your abuser pay for their crimes. But that's not the reality we live in, and until we do, victims have every right to utilize any methods they see fit to receive the justice they deserve. Zoe was a victim and she was perfectly justified in how she handled this, and while I'm sure she's mentally and emotionally suffering from the end result of those efforts, she's not to blame for anything.
The fact that Alec was a victim of abuse and suffered from mental health issues should be a part of the discourse, but it should not absolve or even soften the severity of how we view the heinous acts that he committed. The only reason it should be a part of the conversation is because the subjects of mental health and the effects on victims of abuse are completely worthwhile topics, and it's worth understanding the underlying root causes of monstrous acts like this so that we as a society can work towards mitigating it in the future. But the empathy should end there. Abusers deserve to pay for their crimes; and whether that's legal punishment, public scrutiny, a hit to the trajectory of their livelihood, etc - some or all of these things need to happen because we can't operate in a society where abusers are allowed to jump freely from victim to victim completely unscathed. I'll be the first to say that there's a severe lack of rehabilitation in how we deal with guilty parties, and it certainly makes bad situations worse. But don't get it twisted. Rehabilitation should be a part of the punishment process, it shouldn't be the punishment in itself. The fact that he was working with professionals to tackle his past and mental health issues is great, as is the fact that he seemingly apologized to Zoe for his heinous acts. But he never truly had to answer for his crimes, and that's why the #MeToo movement - while not ideal - serves such an integral role in helping society move the needle when it comes to this culture of abuse that's gone under the radar for too long. It's one of the few tools that victims have in their arsenal, and if there's one thing victims of abuse don't need, it's to lower the volume of their voice more so than it already is - which is why cries for the abolition of cancel culture and online social justice are so overwhelmingly misguided.
But as people have said, this is a thoroughly terrible situation. There are no winners. While Alec was certainly at fault for some monstrous acts, he did not deserve to die. No matter the circumstances preceding it, it's always a sad day when someone considers their own death to be an ideal outcome. So RIP to Alec, and my condolences to his friends and family.
And to Zoe, all I can say is to be strong, keep your head up, and ignore any notions of blame in all of this. I wish I believed otherwise, but I know she's going to be on the receiving end of an onslaught of harassment from a cesspool of evil degenerate assholes.
