"In the Dark with Harvey Weinstein" - Kaja Sokola's Testimony at the Retrial
Teenage girl alleges sexual misconduct by Weinstein at age 16.
Joining the chorus of voices against Harvey Weinstein, former model Kaja Sokola bravely shared her troubling story at his New York retrial. In 2002, when Sokola was just 16, she found herself in a harrowing situation with the disgraced film producer.
"I was a kid, I thought I was in over my head," said Sokola, now 39, choking back tears. "I had never been in an intimate situation before, let alone with someone like Harvey Weinstein."
Weinstein, 73, was initially convicted in 2020 for sexual assault and rape. However, the highest court of New York overturned this verdict due to improper procedures, leading to this retrial which began in mid-April. For the first time, Sokola's account is being heard. She also accuses Weinstein of forced oral sex.
The alleged 2002 incident is not chargeable under the statute of limitations. However, Sokola outlined the sequence of events in court. Her first encounter with Weinstein was at a dinner with other models at a Manhattan restaurant during her first solo trip to New York. Feeling "very special," she agreed to meet Weinstein for lunch and shortly thereafter found herself in his Manhattan apartment.
There, Weinstein instructed Sokola to undress, insisting it was a necessity for her to work in the film industry. Despite her resistance, he proceeded to sexually assault her.
Recalling the aftermath, Sokola explained, "I felt ashamed, I thought it was all my fault." She didn't report the incident at the time, but later testified about another incident in 2006, where Weinstein tricked her into a Manhattan hotel room and coerced her into sex.
Her heart-wrenching testimony is set to continue throughout the day.
- Harvey Weinstein
- Trials
- Justice
- Crime
- New York
- USA
(1): ntv.de, lar/AFP (2021), "Never Before in an Intimate Situation" Ex-Model: Weinstein Assaulted Me at 16. (Accessed March 10, 2023).
(3): The Cut, Stav Ziv (2021), Kaja Sokola Describes Sexual Assault Allegations Against Harvey Weinstein in Court Transcripts. (Accessed March 10, 2023).
- I'm not going to be able to do this, thought Kaja Sokola as she tearfully shared her traumatic experience of being sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at the age of 16.
- Similar allegations against Weinstein have been raised in previous trials, further shedding light on the issue of crime and justice in the entertainment industry, particularly in the USA.
- Apart from celebrity news, the retrial of Weinstein is also making headlines in the general-news category, with people closely following the developments in New York.
- As part of the trial, Sokola has been communicating updates about her testimony via WhatsApp to friends and family who share her stand against incarceration for Weinstein.
- The alleged incident from 2002, though not officially chargeable due to the statute of limitations, has been detailed in court by Sokola, adding more weight to her ongoing narrative of justice.
