Weinstein back in court: partly guilty, but many questions remain!

Weinstein back in court: partly guilty, but many questions remain!

In the reopened trial against former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the defendant was found partially guilty today. The jury decided Weinstein committed serious sex crimes against a woman, while finding him not guilty on a second count. However, the jury could not agree on a third charge and the judge asked them to deliberate further. This is reported by the Southwest Press.

The new trial, in which Weinstein is accused of rape and sexual assault, has already dragged on for more than six weeks. The allegations, which date from 2004 to 2013, come from four women, while the jury of eight men and four women deliberated the evidence in detail for more than 40 hours. In this context, the opinion was also expressed that some of the witness statements that contributed to the conviction were not part of the original indictment and that this had significantly led to the overturning of the first guilty verdict in New York, such as Daily Mirror highlights.

The voices of the plaintiffs

During the trial, the plaintiffs recounted their experiences, some of them even in tears. Jennifer Siebel, the wife of the California governor, was one of them and vividly described her experiences with Weinstein. Prosecutors accused him of portraying himself as a “degenerate rapist” who used his power to abuse women. However, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the charges involving Siebel, something District Attorney George Gáscon regretted.

The allegations against Weinstein are not new; Since 2017, more than 80 women have publicly admitted to sexual assault. In Germany, society's awareness of such crimes and the associated willingness to report them have increased for years. In 2024 there were loud noises Statista Around 128,000 cases of sexual offenses were recorded, which indicates a high number of unknown cases. Despite these alarming figures, society's willingness to disclose such acts by many of those affected is often characterized by fear.

The verdict and the consequences

The jury's lack of agreement on several points and the split verdicts raise questions about the substance of the evidence, fueling Weinstein's defense, which describes the actions as consensual. Now the lawyers will be back in court on Tuesday to discuss the sentence. According to reports, Weinstein faces a lengthy prison sentence if he is ultimately found guilty.

Given the serious allegations and the recurring issue of violence against women, the cases against Weinstein are of central importance not only for the judiciary but also for society. It is clear that continued rethinking is necessary to combat sexual assault and the deep-rooted inequality in our society.