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Annabella Sciorra, who was party to the two predatory sexual assault charges against Weinstein, has released a statement saying those who spoke out against Weinstein have “pave[d] the way for a more just culture”.

“My testimony was painful but necessary. I spoke for myself and with the strength of the eighty plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart,” Sciorra said.

“While we hope for continued righteous outcomes that bring absolute justice, we can never regret breaking the silence. For in speaking truth to power we pave the way for a more just culture, free of the scourge of violence against women.”

Sciorra alleged she was raped by Weinstein at some point in the winter of 1993 to 1994. She was not formally attached to the rape and sexual assault charges against Weinstein because the alleged rape occurred well before New York’s statute of limitations, but was the key witness addressing the predatory sexual assault charges that allege that Weinstein engaged in a pattern of violent and abusive behavior over many years.

The jury struggled with Sciorra’s testimony, spending days deliberating on it as indicated by questions the jurors asked to the judge. In the end, the jury unanimously decided that they could not convict Weinstein on the basis of her testimony beyond a reasonable doubt, and Weinstein was found not guilty on the predatory sexual assault charges.