#MeToo: Harvey Weinstein guilty of criminal sexual act

A court in Manhattan, New York, found Harvey Weinstein guilty of the crimes of sexual assault and rape of two women. However, the jury acquitted Weinstein of more serious crimes such as predatory sexual assault. According to the jury, this decision came because they found no evidence beyond a reasonable doubt in the case of Annabella Sciorra.

According to CNN, the deliberation lasted 26 hours and it is speculated, according to the New York Times, that the sentence could be of 29 years. After thanking the jury for its work, the judge ordered the former 67-year-old producer to be transferred to prison where he must wait for the sentence, which will be read on March 11. This would be the first victory of the #MeToo movement.

After the verdict was known, Weinstein's lawyer, Donna Rotunno, announced that they will appeal the sentence. It should be remembered that, in 2017, the then producer was denounced by more than 80 women for crimes such as sexual assault, harassment, rape, among others. Among the women who denounced him were the famous actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek.

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According to El Tiempo, the prosecution argued that Weinstein took advantage of his powerful position in the film industry to abuse actresses and aspirants.

Tina Tchen, director and executive president of the Time's Up Foundation, said the verdict “marks a new era of justice, not only for those who broke the silence, who spoke with great personal risk, but for all survivors of harassment, abuse and aggression at work".

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