Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in jail for rape and sexual assault
Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to a further 16 years in prison for rape and sexual assault charges.
The disgraced movie mogul was sentenced in Los Angeles on Thursday. He will serve the punishment after he has served his 23-year term which was imposed in 2020.
He was found guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and sexual penetration by foreign object involving a woman known as Jane Doe One, after a trial in December.
The woman said the incident happened after Weinstein appeared uninvited at her hotel room during a Los Angeles film festival in 2013.
Weinstein, who appeared in person at court on Thursday for the verdict, maintained his innocence.
Harvey Weinstein faces 24 extra jail years at sentencing for rape & sex assault
The 70-year-old was wheeled into court wearing a grey Los Angeles County jail uniform and remained seated as he addressed the court.
Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced in Los Angeles (AFP via Getty Images)"Your Honour, I maintain that I am innocent," he told the packed courtroom. "I never raped or sexually assaulted Jane Doe One. I don't know that woman and she doesn't know me."
He continued: "This is a made-up story. With all due respect, Jane Doe One is an actress … Jane Doe One can turn on the tears.
"Please don’t sentence me to life in prison, I don’t deserve it. I beg your mercy."
The woman who he was convicted of raping sobbed in the courtroom as he spoke.
Prior to the sentence, the court heard an emotional victim impact statement from Jane Doe One, who said Weinstein's "selfish and disgusting" actions had "broken me into a million pieces".
He was found guilty of rape and sexual assault charges (Getty Images)Thanking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench for letting her speak, the woman said: "I have been carrying this weight for 12 months.
"Before that night I was a very happy and confident woman. I valued myself and the relationship I had with God. I was excited about my future.
"Everything changed after the defendant brutally assaulted me. I became invisible to myself and to the world … I lost my identity.
"It has broken me into a million pieces … there is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage."
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The woman asked Judge Lench to pass down a strict sentence on Weinstein to restore faith in the justice system to other victims and survivors of abuse.
Weinstein previously pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault (2020 Getty Images)"Your Honour, my life matters. I matter," she said, becoming visibly and audibly emotional during her statement.
A jury of eight men and four women reached the guilty verdict after nine days of deliberation in December last year.
In her closing arguments deputy district attorney Marlene Martinez said: "It is time for the defendant’s reign of terror to end.
"It is time for the kingmaker to be brought to justice."
Weinstein previously pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault involving five women in Los Angeles.
After the December trial the jury was unable to reach a decision on several counts, notably on charges involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California governor Gavin Newsom.
The jury was also unable to reach verdicts on the allegations of another woman. A mistrial was declared on those counts.
Weinstein was acquitted of a sexual battery allegation made by another woman.
The sentencing on Thursday was delayed from January 9, to allow for a motion for a retrial to be put forward by Weinstein’s lawyers.
The judge dismissed the motion, following arguments by his lawyer Alan Jackson, shortly before handing down the sentence.
The former film producer is already serving a 23-year sentence for a different rape and sexual assault conviction in New York, which is under appeal.
If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
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