Harvey Weinstein: Rapist! By Mrs Vera West

     Here is the summary of the Harvey Weinstein proceedings given to us by our friends at The New York Times, with the paywall, but I found a quote so I do not have to pay, but would not anyway, as I would always find another source. Unfortunately, the quote has an ugly line around it, but the computer wizards at Alor.org can handle it:
  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-verdict.html

Harvey Weinstein, the powerhouse film producer whose downfall over sexual misconduct ignited a global movement, was found guilty on Monday of a felony sex crime and rape after a trial in which six women testified that he had sexually assaulted them. But the jury acquitted Mr. Weinstein of the two top charges against him, predatory sexual assault. The verdict offered a measure of justice to the dozens of women who had come forward with similar allegations against Mr. Weinstein. For many, the trial was a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement and a crucial test in the effort to hold powerful men accountable for sexual harassment in the workplace. Mr. Weinstein sat between his lawyers looking straight ahead when it was announced that the jury had reached a verdict. Four court officers stood behind him, and Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, sat nearby in the front row of the courtroom. The jury found Mr. Weinstein guilty of two counts, a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. Mr. Weinstein appeared unmoved as the verdict was read. He was found not guilty on the two counts of predatory sexual assault, which suggests that one or some jurors did not believe the testimony of Annabella Sciorra, an actress best known for her work in “The Sopranos.” After the verdict was read, Justice James M. Burke thanked the jurors for their “care and concentration” before they left the courtroom. As they filed out, Juror No. 6 stared at Mr. Weinstein.…

Six women testified at trial that he had sexually assaulted them, though Mr. Weinstein, 67, faces criminal charges in connection with only two of them. The others were allowed to testify to establish a pattern of behavior.
The indictment rested on the accusations of Miriam Haley, a former television production assistant who testified that Mr. Weinstein forced oral sex on her at his Manhattan apartment in 2006; and Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, who says he raped her in a Midtown Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Ms. Mann and Ms. Haley both acknowledged that they continued to see Mr. Weinstein after the alleged assaults and later had consensual sex with him, testimony that complicated the prosecution’s case. Prosecutors described Mr. Weinstein as a clever predator who kept his victims close to control them, using his power over their careers in the film industry as leverage. But defense lawyers said the women had sex with Mr. Weinstein willingly to further their careers and only years later, after he had been accused in news reports of sexual harassment, began to remember their encounters with him as nonconsensual.”

     There is no doubt that old Harvey was a total scum bag, but there are some disturbing aspects to the case. The defence lawyers seem to hit a point noting that the women had their careers furthered, and some had consensual sex with the old man years later. As well, only when he was accused did they come forth with their allegations. It could be because of his power in the industry, which I believe, but still there is something disturbing in that a stand against the man should have been taken, regardless of career advancement, as Brad Pitt did. Plenty of men take stands on issues that have led to them losing jobs; indeed, this is common in the manosphere movement, where even going to meetings has led to doxing and sackings. If the early victims had fought then, then Weinstein may have been stopped sooner. But, I know, this is analysis from the sidelines, and is easier to say than to do. There is no doubt that the women were terrified of him, and he looks a monster, so my sympathies to them and all victims of sexual abuse.