Actress Annabella Sciorra faces her alleged rapist Harvey Weinstein
(dpa)
New York (dpa) - Actress Annabella Sciorra on Thursday appeared in court in New York to face disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, whom she accuses of raping her in the early 1990s.
Sciorra, known for starring in "The Sopranos," is a key prosecution witness in the trial, the most high-profile #MeToo case to go before a criminal court jury.
She is set to be cross-examined by the prosecution and defence about her allegations against Weinstein.
Prosecutors described the alleged incident in harrowing detail during opening statements on Wednesday, saying that Weinstein pinned Sciorra's hands above her head and raped her.
The allegations set out by Sciorra, as well as by four other women expected to testify, cannot be charged as crimes because they happened too long ago. But prosecutors hope their testimony will highlight a pattern of predatory behaviour by Weinstein.
The five charges against Weinstein, 67, stem from the allegations of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi, who says he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006, and another woman who accuses him of raping her in 2013. Those two women are also set to take the stand during the trial, which could take around six weeks.
If convicted of predatory sexual assault, Weinstein could face life in prison. He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
The trial comes more than two years since US media revealed numerous allegations against Weinstein, triggering a cascade of accusations against other powerful men and the spread of the #MeToo movement.
Since then, more than 80 women have accused him of sexual misconduct.
She is set to be cross-examined by the prosecution and defence about her allegations against Weinstein.
Prosecutors described the alleged incident in harrowing detail during opening statements on Wednesday, saying that Weinstein pinned Sciorra's hands above her head and raped her.
The allegations set out by Sciorra, as well as by four other women expected to testify, cannot be charged as crimes because they happened too long ago. But prosecutors hope their testimony will highlight a pattern of predatory behaviour by Weinstein.
The five charges against Weinstein, 67, stem from the allegations of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi, who says he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006, and another woman who accuses him of raping her in 2013. Those two women are also set to take the stand during the trial, which could take around six weeks.
If convicted of predatory sexual assault, Weinstein could face life in prison. He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
The trial comes more than two years since US media revealed numerous allegations against Weinstein, triggering a cascade of accusations against other powerful men and the spread of the #MeToo movement.
Since then, more than 80 women have accused him of sexual misconduct.