In her closing speech, prosecutor Iluzzi-Orbon described the former Hollywood producer Weinstein as a predator. He exploited and threatened unknown actresses.
By Antje Passenheim, ARD Studio New York
It is the day of the final. And victim lawyer Gloria Allred makes it clear: “Weinstein will learn that he is the one who lives in another world.” The day before, his defenders portrayed Weinstein’s alleged victims as liars – women who took advantage of the influential film producer.
Now the prosecution is turning the tables. Weinstein’s pattern was that of a predator, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told the jury. He used his position as a powerful Hollywood producer to attack women. He viewed them as freely available.
The prosecutor walks up and down in front of the jury vigorously and sometimes angrily. Sometimes she almost whispers and then gets loud again. And she goes on to say that the accused was the “master of the universe” – the witnesses were only “ants” whom he could step on without consequence.
Victim lawyer Allred announced: “This is the end of the defense twisting process. We see today who the real victims are.”
Weinstein was calculating the unknown women who wanted to rise in the film industry, says prosecutor Illuzi-Orbon. He had silenced her with threats. And suppressed media reports for a long time with a team of private detectives.
More than 80 women are reproaching
Since the Metoo debate started in 2017, more than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault. An actress accused him of rape in New York. An ex-employee accuses him of having forced her to have oral sex. Throughout the trial, the prosecution had used witnesses to show the jury a pattern: that of a man who uses his power to force job-dependent women to engage in sexual acts.
Weinstein listens to the plea quietly. At the entrance to the Supreme Court in Manhattan, he had given himself easy this time. A journalist asks if he has plans for Valentine’s Day. Weinstein laughs – as so often visibly straining on his walker. “It was good,” he says.
It took six weeks for the evidence and arguments in this first major metoo process to be shared. As of Tuesday, the twelve-member jury will withdraw for their advice – a decision can be made every day.
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