2023 Model Destruction Retrial in New York
"Women Not Included in Indictment Take the Witness Stand"
"The courtroom is not a place of healing but a place that retraumatizes victims."
Actor Ashley Judd (56), who sparked the spread of the #MeToo movement by accusing Hollywood mogul producer Harvey Weinstein (72) of sexual assault, criticized the overturning of Weinstein's guilty verdict by a New York state court.
Harvey Weinstein appearing at the Manhattan courthouse in New York in February 2020[Photo by AP Yonhap News Archive]
Judd was one of the early accusers in the 'Weinstein scandal' that ignited the global #MeToo movement in 2017. At the time, Judd revealed that she had been sexually harassed by Weinstein in the past and suffered professional retaliation in the film industry after rejecting his sexual advances.
On the 26th (local time), according to CBS News, Judd appeared on 'CBS Mornings' and said that the New York State Court of Appeals' ruling would cause renewed pain for survivors of sexual violence. Judd emphasized, "The courtroom is not a place of healing but a place that retraumatizes victims," adding, "Victims should not have to relive their trauma in court to find peace."
She continued, "We can only have peace when men stop raping women. That is the end of it," she stressed.
Judd also said, "I was having a good morning yesterday, but now I have to spend time talking about how Harvey Weinstein is not only still guilty but that there is institutional betrayal against us."
She added, "They (the perpetrators) first rape us, then they steal our time," and said, "The bad news is that many men who commit sexual violence survive, but the good news is that many of us (victims) are survivors too," concluding, "We can support and care for each other."
The day before, the guilty verdict against Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of sexually exploiting at least 80 women in the film industry over 30 years, was overturned on the 25th (local time) by the New York State Court of Appeals. The court annulled the previous 23-year sentence, stating it was "not a fair trial."
The state court's decision stated that the lower court made a mistake by allowing women who were not related to the sexual crime charges against Weinstein to testify in court.
Harvey Weinstein, accused of repeatedly sexually exploiting women working in the film industry. [Photo by Reuters/Yonhap News]
Previously, Weinstein, who was charged with sexually assaulting an aspiring actress and a TV production assistant, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in the 2020 New York State trial court. The New York State Appellate Court upheld the first trial's verdict in 2022.
At that time, Weinstein's defense raised issues with the prosecution calling three women who were not included in the indictment to testify and claim they were harmed by Weinstein. However, the appellate court rejected Weinstein's claim that the prosecution's use of these women's testimonies unfairly influenced the jury.
Unlike the appellate court, the New York State Court of Appeals accepted Weinstein's argument and ruled that the trial court made a serious error. As a result, Weinstein will be able to receive a new trial in New York State. The New York Times commented on this decision, stating, "It shows how difficult it is to provide relief to those who claim to be victims of sexual crimes within the judicial system."
However, Weinstein remains incarcerated and will be transferred to California to continue serving a 16-year sentence handed down in 2022 for sexually assaulting five women in Beverly Hills between 2004 and 2013.
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