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Weinstein trial: jury decides on new verdict!
Harvey Weinstein is back in court for sexual assault. The jury deliberates on the verdict in the New York trial.
Weinstein trial: jury decides on new verdict!
In the current trial against 73-year-old Harvey Weinstein, who is considered a central actor in the #MeToo movement, the jury is deliberating a verdict. Prosecutors accuse Weinstein of sexually abusing three women between 2006 and 2013. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and firmly denies the allegations. He was already sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020 on similar charges, but this sentence was overturned in 2024 due to a procedural error, which led to a retrial in New York, as Kleine Zeitung reports.
The renewed indictment is based on the statements of the women Mimi Haleyi, Jessica Mann and Kaja Sokola. Haleyi, the first witness, reported her acquaintance with Weinstein in 2004 and described how he raped her in a hotel room in 2006. Her descriptions are part of the prosecution's argument that the court should find Weinstein guilty. On the other hand, the defense claims that the women used Weinstein for their own career goals.
Weinstein's health and court dates
There are not only legal challenges, but also health challenges involving Harvey Weinstein. He suffers from bone cancer and diabetes and was brought to the courtroom in a wheelchair on April 23, 2025, as ZDF reports. The trial is scheduled until the end of May 2025, with additional witnesses expected.
The allegations against Weinstein and the subsequent legal battles contributed significantly to the emergence and rise of the #MeToo movement, which began in 2017 when Alyssa Milano spread the hashtag “Me Too” on Twitter. This movement has not only raised awareness of sexual assault in society but also increased confidence in women reporting such incidents. Gender researcher Fabienne Amlinger emphasizes that the #MeToo movement has also made patriarchal and sexist structures visible and that new cases of sexual abuse continue to come to light, as SRF analyzes.
The social significance of #MeToo
Five years after Alyssa Milano's viral call-out, the debate surrounding sexual harassment and assault shows no signs of abating. The movement has contributed to the fact that women who report assaults are now more likely to be believed. However, critics describe the reactions as an exaggerated “witch hunt” against men, which is considered exaggerated in feminist discussions. According to Amlinger, it is essential to maintain awareness of personal boundaries in the future.