Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, 70, was found guilty this Monday of a rape and two sexual assaults at the end of his trial in Los Angeles. forcing them to have sex with him in hotels in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013. A fifth woman ended up giving up testifying. Weinstein had pleaded not guilty. After two weeks of deliberations, the jury members, eight men and four women, found Weinstein guilty of all charges brought by the first of four women, an Italian model and actress, not guilty of charges brought by a second. woman, and have not reached a verdict on the charges brought by two other accusers. As is often the case with most victims of sexual assault, the women remain anonymous and are known by “Jane Doe” and a number. of them, “Jane Doe 4”, was publicly identified as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the current wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Her charge was one of two that failed to reach a verdict: the jury split 8 to 4 in favor of a rape and sexual assault conviction. for “Jane Doe 3″, the jury split 10-2 in favor of non-consensual touching of private parts. As a result of this verdict, Weinstein faces between 18 and 24 years in prison when sentenced. ” data-title=”Harvey Weinstein found guilty of sex crimes in California trial – SAPO Mag”>
The producer of cinema hits such as “The Passion of Shakespeare”, “The Artist” or “The Good Rebel” has been serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York since 2020, also for rape and sexual assault, a verdict that has become a milestone for the #MeToo movement. An appeal is pending. For a month, the twelve jurors in Los Angeles heard the testimonies of the women who accused the film mogul of cornering them in hotel rooms. The women detailed sexual encounters that took place against their will and under physical or psychological. Several of the whistleblowers cried during the testimony, claiming that they begged Weinstein to stop while he touched them or forced them to perform oral sex on him or watch him masturbate. retaliation due to the producer’s power. The Public Prosecutor’s Office characterized the tycoon as a predator who used his influence to pressure and abuse women with impunity, also taking advantage of his physical size to intimidate them. The defense contested that Weinstein’s relationships were consensual and focused on the idea that all encounters were transactional, with women looking for an opportunity in the competitive film industry In presenting closing arguments, District Attorney Marlene Martinez said “it is time to end the defendant’s reign of terror”. “We are aware of the defendant’s conduct. He thought he was so powerful that people could excuse his behavior. (…) Harvey being Harvey. That’s Hollywood, and that’s what a lot of people have done for a long time. Everyone looked the other way,” added Martinez. For his part, the defense said that the prosecution did not present evidence that the sexual encounters between Weinstein and the women who accused him were not consensual. According to Weinstein’s lawyers, the case presented by the prosecution is defined by one sentence: “Take my word for it”. Defense attorney Alan Jackson classified the women who sat before the jury as liars or as people who, in the past, tried to boost their careers through contacts Jackson dedicated a separate reference to the first lady of California, who testified that she met Weinstein in 2005 to talk about his possible foray into Hollywood, but was raped by the movie mogul in return.”[Siebel-Newsom] she can’t get it through her head that, despite being a refined, well-educated woman, she had consensual sex with Harvey Weinstein in exchange for an opportunity,” Jackson said. “Repentance is not rape. You don’t have the right to rewrite your history, regardless of who you marry,” he added. Weinstein’s intimate and facial details were exposed during the depositions, watched silently by the man responsible for promoting careers such as Matt Damon or Ben Affleck.