Harvey Weinstein arrives at court in wheelchair for landmark sentencing
Written by News on 11/03/2020
Harvey Weinstein has arrived at court in a wheelchair for his landmark sentencing, after being found guilty of rape and a criminal sex act.
The disgraced film producer faces up to 29 years in prison for what prosecutors say is not just these crimes, but a “lifetime of abuse towards others”. They have urged for him to receive the maximum, or near to it.
Once one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, Weinstein, 67, was convicted of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann following a trial earlier this year.
Both women were applauded by onlookers as they arrived at court to speak at the hearing.
Weinstein, who chose not to give evidence during his trial, will also have a chance to give his account.
Lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi told the court that had it not been for women coming forward, he “would never have been stopped from hurting more lives”.
Describing the movie mogul as a “sex addict and an anger addict” who “got drunk on power”, she said his trial had shown “a few survivors of his wrath but there were many more”.
In tears, Ms Haleyi told Judge James Burke that the 2006 attack “scarred me deeply, mentally and emotionally, perhaps irreparably – perhaps forever.”
She said she avoids dating because she doesn’t want to hurt people, have them feel embarrassed or distance themselves when they find out what happened to her.
“I believe that if Harvey Weinstein was not convicted by this jury, it would happen again and again and again,” she told the court.
Weinstein’s lawyers are seeking the minimum sentence of five years due to his age and his health. He used a walker throughout his trial and the wheelchair for the sentencing.
More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct stretching back decades, fuelling the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment.
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(c) Sky News 2020: Harvey Weinstein arrives at court in wheelchair for landmark sentencing
