Rape conviction against Harvey Weinstein has been overturned

The former Hollywood producer did not get a fair trial in New York in 2020, the judges ruled.

Thursday 25 April at 17:20

The New York Times writes.

The 72-year-old has been one of Hollywood’s most powerful men, including as one of the founders of the production company Miramax. The accusations against Weinstein have been over 100 and central to the metoo movement.

He was sentenced in New York in 2020 to 23 years in prison for the rape of a young production assistant and a young actor in 2006 and 2013 respectively.

It is this case that must now go before the court again because the court believes that a decisive error has been made.

The mistake was that the prosecuting authorityThe public prosecutor’s office is the public body that leads the investigation in criminal cases. called several women who accused Weinstein of raping them as witnesses. These accusations, however, were never part of the indictment against Weinstein.

Thus, the judges state that Weinstein has not received a fair trial.

Actress Ashley Judd was among the first to accuse Weinstein of sexual assault and is reacting to the judges’ decision.

– This is unfair to the victims, she says to the New York Times.

– We still live with our truth. And we know what happened, she adds.

Former prosecutor Jane Manning, who has worked extensively with victims of sexual abuse in the United States, also reacts strongly to the decision.

– This is a shocking and disappointing day, she says to the New York Times.

– This just shows how much more work we all have to do to bring the ideals of the metoo movement forward.

The decision in no way means that Weinstein is a free man.

In another trial in Los Angeles last year, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the rape and assault of an Italian actor in 2013.

It is not clear how the decision will affect Weinstein’s sentence in the New York case.

– This is not only a victory for Mr. Weinstein, but for every criminal defendant in the state of New York and we commend the appeals court for upholding the most basic principles that a criminal defendant should have in a trial, says lawyer Arthur Aidala, who defends Weinstein .