One of the main plaintiffs against Harvey Weinstein, 72 years, announced on Friday that she is considering testifying again before the judiciary in the event of a new trial for the former Hollywood producer, whose appeals court in New York two days ago overturned a ruling convicting him in cases of rape and sexual assault.
Mimi Haley, the lead prosecutor in the 2020 trial in which Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison, said she was "pained" by the New York appeals court's decision.
Haley, a former production assistant, testified that Weinstein forced her to have sex with him despite her repeated refusals.
Haley may testify again if Weinstein is retried.
She said in a press conference, "I certainly do not want to go through this again, but in order to move forward and do the right thing (...) I will think about it."
She stressed that the decision to testify again was "not easy at all.
She continued, "People don't really realize what I went through and what other women felt. It's exhausting and difficult. (...) We live in fear for years (...) and then we're subjected to harassment."
"I have to think about it," she added.
She believed that the overturning of Weinstein's conviction "is a defining moment in the case," adding, "We have to go on and defend the truth."
Weinstein's attorneys have always maintained that the former producer did not receive a fair trial in New York because the prosecution was based on only two alleged victims, although many women testified without directly participating in the trial.
The New York Court of Appeals found that procedural errors were made during the trial.
Appellate Judge Jenny Rivera noted that testimony was "improperly admitted" during the trial that related to acts other than those committed against the plaintiffs.
The decision is a major setback for the "Me Too" movement, which was launched in 2017 after the Weinstein sexual scandal was revealed.
Haley confirmed that the former producer should be convicted if a new trial is held.
"The truth has not changed," she stressed. "The evidence is still there, so the trial should not lead to a new outcome," she said.
Weinstein is in jail after being sentenced to 16 years in prison in a second trial in Los Angeles.
Since 2017, dozens of women, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused the former Hollywood producer of harassing or sexually assaulting them, but many of those cases have expired.
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