Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape in Los Angeles
Tuesday, 20 December 2022 (13:03 IST)
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and other charges by a jury at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.
Charges and allegations of sexual abuse from many women against the 70-year-old movie producer, once among the most influential in the industry, galvanized the #MeToo movement.
What is the full verdict?
In the Los Angeles trial, four women charged Weinstein with sexual misconduct during encounters between 2004 and 2013.
The jury found Weinstein guilty of rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object by one victim.
He was acquitted of charges concerning a second woman. The jury could not reach a verdict on the remaining two charges against Weinstein.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, was among Weinstein's accusers in this trial.
A mistrial was declared for those counts where the jury could not reach a verdict.
What has been the response to the verdict?
The former model and actress identified as Jane Doe 1 in the trial said in a statement soon after the verdict that "Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013 and I will never get that back."
Her statement added, "The criminal trial was brutal and Weinstein's lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand, but I knew I had to see this through to the end, and I did. I hope Weinstein never sees the outside of a prison cell during his lifetime."
In a statement, Siebel Newsom said, "Throughout the trial, Weinstein's lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors. The trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do."
What punishment will Weinstein confront?
Weinstein could face 18-24 years in prison on this conviction.
The lawyers will deliver arguments on Tuesday about aggravating factors, which could affect the duration of the sentence.
He is already serving a 23-year sentence after being convicted of sexual misconduct in New York.
Weinstein maintained all of his sexual encounters were consensual and had pleaded not guilty. Since there was no forensic evidence or eyewitness account of the years-old allegations, the case relied on the personal accounts and the credibility of the women.
Defense attorneys argued that the women willingly had sex with Weinstein because they believed he would help their careers They also said some of the accused including Newsom kept in contact with him over the years, which did not make sense if he had attacked them.
Appealing previous conviction
Weinstein has appealed to have his criminal conviction in New York overturned.
In the UK, prosecutors have also charged him with indecent assault stemming from an incident in 1996 in London.
Overall, more than 90 women have come forward to accuse Weinstein of indecent and often criminal behavior.
A film called "She Said" was about the 2017 New York Times investigation into the allegations against Weinstein recently hit theaters.
