Earlier today, disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, with him immediately being remanded into custody and taken to prison until his sentencing on March 11. Weinstein was also acquitted on two counts of predatory sexual assault, though, allowing him to avoid a potential life sentence (as it stands, he’s facing five to 25 years for criminal sexual assault and 18 months to four years for rape). Actress Annabella Sciorra testified against Weinstein during the trial as part of the push for those two counts of predatory sexual assault, and while she was evidently unable to sway the jury, she said in a statement today (via The Hollywood Reporter) that giving her testimony was still the right thing to do.
She says it was “painful but necessary” to tell her story on the stand, saying she did so “with the strength of the 80-plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart.” She also added: “While we hope for continued righteous outcomes that bring absolute justice, we can never regret breaking the silence. For in speaking truth to power we pave the way for a more just culture, free of the scourge of violence against women.”
Debra Katz, the attorney for one of the women who testified against Weinstein, said that Sciorra “is a hero” and that her powerful testimony “set the tone” of the whole trial. Sciorra’s testimony was based around her accusation from 2017 that Weinstein had raped her in 1993, and in addition to recounting her story to the jury, her longtime friend Rose Perez took the stand and corroborated her account.
We put together more information on Weinstein’s accusers and the trial over at this link. Now, we wait and see what happens in March.