It’s a great day for the #MeToo movement. After three years since the first allegations against him were made, Harvey Weinstein is convicted on Feb. 24 after the jury finds him “guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and third degree rape.”
This all started three years ago with a New York Times article entitled “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades,” an investigative piece about the sexual allegations made against Weinstein.
According to BBC News, there are more women who spoke up about their own experience with Weinstein through the years—with most of them filing cases against him.
On Feb. 18, the jury began with the deliberations. During this time, Judge James Burke warns lead defense lawyer Donna Rutunno to refrain from media interactions after her Newsweek opinion piece “drew the ire of prosecutors.”
After five days of deliberation, the jury has deemed Weinstein guilty of “sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping ex-actress Jessica Mann in 2013.” And although he’s acquitted of some charges, Weinstein is still looking at up to 25 years of jail time.
Weinstein is now trending on Twitter as more and more people are reacting to his conviction.
It’s a great day for the #MeToo movement, which reached new heights when American actress Alyssa Milano shared her sexual assault story involving Weinstein.
It gives hope to those suffering from abuse, letting them know that they will be heard and justice will be served. Let’s just hope power won’t ever be a reason why these people are acquitted of their crimes.
[BBC News]
Photo courtesy of A Través Del Arte’s Instagram account
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