Harvey Weinstein convicted on rape, sexual assault charges

Washington, December 20

Harvey Weinstein was convicted of three rape and sexual assault charges on Monday.

According to Variety, the jury, however, returned a divided decision, clearing him of one other allegation and couldn't reach a unanimous decision on three other charges.

The jury found Weinstein guilty of raping Jane Doe, an Italian model, in the Mr C hotel in February 2013.

The jury acquitted him of the felony charge of sexual battery against Jane Doe, a massage therapist. Additionally, they disagreed on the accusations made by two additional accusers, Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Lauren Young. On the accusation of sexual battery against Young, the jury voted 10-2 to convict him; on the charges of rape and forcible oral copulation against Siebel Newsom, they voted 8-4.

In a statement, according to Variety, Jane Doe thanked the prosecution for "believing in me and fighting so hard for all the victims, including me, in the trial." "Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013 and I will never get that back," she said.

"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," as per Variety.

For the offences for which he was found guilty, including forceful rape, forcible oral copulation, and penetration by a foreign object, Weinstein could receive a sentence of up to 18 to 24 years in jail.

The jury's task is not finished; on Tuesday morning, it must return to court to hear arguments regarding "aggravating factors," which will affect Weinstein's punishment.

According to Variety, due to the ongoing nature of the lawsuit, Weinstein's attorneys declined to speak outside of court. No date has been set for the sentence.

The jury's deliberations began on December 2 and lasted for almost 40 hours over the course of 10 days.

Variety reports that seven accusations total--two counts of forcible rape, two counts of sexual battery by restraint, two counts of forcible oral copulation, and one act of penetration by a foreign object--were brought against the former Hollywood heavyweight.

Between 2005 and 2013, the four accusers said that Weinstein had sexually abused them in hotel rooms in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.

Weinstein could have received a sentence of up to 60 years to life if all charges against him had been proven true.

Following his first criminal trial in New York in 2020, Weinstein, 70, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault and is currently serving a 23-year sentence.

According to Variety, the appeal of that conviction will be heard by the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, early in the following year.

After being extradited from New York, Weinstein has been detained at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles since July 2021. He is wheelchair-bound and has a number of medical conditions, including diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiac troubles, and vision abnormalities.

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