New York (AFP)
American actress Annabella Sciorra was called on Thursday morning by the prosecution to the trial of Harvey Weinstein to testify to her alleged rape by the former film producer, a speech which promises to be a highlight.
The day after the very dense opening arguments, the 59-year-old actress appeared in the courtroom to be questioned by the prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, before the defense's cross-examination.
Notably known for her role in the famous series "The Sopranos", Annabella Sciorra claims to have been raped at home in 1993 by Harvey Weinstein.
If she did not reveal the assault until the end of October 2017, she claims that the producer did everything to prevent him from landing roles between 1993 and 1995.
The former Hollywood magnate is not being prosecuted for the facts of which Annabella Sciorra says he was the victim. Her trial focused on an alleged rape dating from 2013 and an alleged sexual assault dating from 2006.
But his testimony is crucial to the prosecution, which hopes to prove that Harvey Weinstein behaved like a "sexual predator" by assaulting a series of women. If convicted, he would risk life.
Prosecutor Meghan Hast said on Wednesday how Harvey Weinstein had established a relationship of professional domination with the actress, a mixture of pressure and concern, before the rape.
She also described how the Hollywood tycoon used her strength to rape Annabella Sciorra, despite her attempts, both physical and verbal, to escape him.
According to the prosecution, Harvey Weinstein then continued to harass her, notably in Cannes, in 1997.
"It took him almost 25 years before he could face his nightmare and tell his story," said Meghan Hast.
Also on Wednesday, one of Harvey Weinstein's lawyers, Damon Cheronis, had already counter-attacked by producing extracts from former conversations of the actress, where she explained in particular that she had done "a crazy thing" with the producer and that she did not "think it was rape".
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