Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years prison

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years in a New York State prison on charges of sexual assault and third-degree rape.

He will be formally registered as a sex offender.

Last month he was found, guilty of raping Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actor, in 2013 and of sexually assaulting Mimi Haleyi, a former Project Runway production assistant, in 2006.

Before the sentencing was delivered, Weinstein addressed a packed Manhattan courtroom and said he had “deep remorse.” But he showed little contrition, implying that the #MeToo movement had gone too far.

“I am totally confused,” he said. “I think men are confused about all of this… this feeling of thousands of men and women who are losing due process. I’m worried about this country.

“This is not the right atmosphere in the United States of America,” Weinstein added.

Weinstein, 67, claimed he had “serious friendships” with the two primary accusers in the case.

But both women delivered “victim impact” statements before the sentence. Haley, who says she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein in his apartment in 2006, told the judge that she was left emotionally damaged by the incident.

“It scarred me deeply, mentally and emotionally,” she said. “What he did not only stripped me of my dignity as a human being and a woman, but it crushed my confidence.”

Mann, who testified that Weinstein raped her over the course of an abusive relationship, said his abuse had also had a negative impact on her life.

“I don’t know how to explain the horrors of being raped by someone who has power,” Mann said. “The impact on the psyche is profound. Rape is not just one moment…it is forever.”

As Mann and Haley spoked, Weinstein looked on, appearing to be in a state of stunned disbelief. Afterwards, he apologised to both women.

Following sentencing Weinstein was taken to Rikers Island infirmary from the Manhattan courthouse where he was sentenced. He then began having chest pains, so the staff sent him to New York City’s Bellevue Hospital where he will likely stay overnight.

On Wednesday, the Silence Breakers, a group of Weinstein accusers that includes actresses Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, and Rosanna Arquette, said in a statement, “Harvey Weinstein’s legacy will always be that he’s a convicted rapist.

“He is going to jail – but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused.”

Source: Variety