Alleged Sexual Predator, Harvey Weinstein’s Trial Begins

The rape trial of the fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein begins on Monday in a Manhattan courtroom, opening a critical new chapter in the #MeToo movement that seeks justice for victims of alleged sexual assault at the hands of powerful men.

Weinstein set to face his toughest legal challenge yet in New York trial

Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to five counts that include raping a woman in a New York hotel room in 2013 and forcing another woman to engage in oral sexual conduct in 2006. The most serious charge, to which the film producer has also pleaded not guilty, is predatory sexual assault, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The trial is likely to be one of the most high-profile judicial events of the century, given a cast of characters drawn from Hollywood’s high table. It also comes with huge stakes for so many people.

They include more than 80 women who have lined up to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct allegedly occurring over decades, including the actors Rosanna Arquette, Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and Gwyneth Paltrow. The case is also of intimate importance to the wider community of those who have endured sexual harassment in the workplace.

For them, the #MeToo movement triggered by the Weinstein revelations that emerged in October 2017 has become a driving force for change. The trial will be closely watched by thousands as a sign of the enduring strength – or otherwise – of their fledgling cause.

For Weinstein, too, the stakes could not be higher. Though his fall has been dramatic since the publication of the first women’s stories by the New York Times and the New Yorker two years ago, he has so far avoided any personal punishment accruing from the many civil lawsuits that have been launched against him.

Last month a $25m settlement was reached involving more than 30 women. But to the dismay of some of the women, the deal did not touch Weinstein’s own money or require him to admit guilt.

The most perilous charge for Weinstein is predatory sexual assault. For that to secure a guilty verdict, the prosecutors will have to convince the jury the movie producer engaged in a pattern of sexual crimes over time.

Credit: UK Guardian