Days after the first hearing in Harvey Weinstein's 2020 sexual assault trial began, prosecutors held a confidential interview for the first time with a former model who alleged he forced her to perform oral sex.
But that jury was not informed of Kaja Sokola's claim. Prosecutors said they were still considering the allegation when Weinstein was convicted in February 2020 in other cases based on testimony from other women.
On Wednesday, Ms. Sokola began sharing her story with the new jury.
Ms. Sokola did not look at Weinstein as she walked past him on her way to testify in a Manhattan courtroom where he is being tried again.
An appeals court overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges, sending those charges back for retrial, after which prosecutors added a new sexual assault charge based on Ms. Sokola's testimony.
As she began to testify about her life before the alleged 2006 attack, Weinstein looked at her, covering his mouth with his right hand.
Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyers say his accusers consented to sexual encounters with him in hopes of gaining opportunities in film and television, while his defense has emphasized that the women continued to contact him for some time after the alleged assaults.
The women, in turn, claim that the Oscar-winning producer used the prospect of working in the entertainment industry to abuse them.
Ms Sokola, 39, originally from Poland, sued Weinstein after industry speculation about his behaviour towards women escalated into a wave of public accusations in 2017, fuelling the MeToo movement and calls for accountability for sexual harassment.
Prosecutors said Ms Sokola eventually received $3.5 million (£2.63 million) in compensation.
Prosecutors say she met Weinstein during a modeling trip to New York in 2002, when she was 16.
In her lawsuits, Ms. Sokola alleged that shortly after meeting Weinstein, he invited her to lunch to discuss her career but then sexually assaulted her. The lawsuits also said he sexually harassed and emotionally abused her for years afterward.
The criminal charge is based on one incident in which Ms. Sokola
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
