Man at centre of Nobel Literature scandal convicted of rape
COPENHAGEN — The man at the centre of a sex abuse and financial crimes scandal in Sweden that is tarnishing the academy that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature was convicted of rape and sentenced Monday to two years in prison.
Jean-Claude Arnault, 72, a major cultural figure in Sweden, had faced two counts of rape for the same woman in 2011. He was found guilty of one rape but was acquitted of the other because the victim said she was asleep at the time and judges said her account wasn’t reliable. Arnault had denied the charges.
Stockholm District Court said the ruling by the judge and three jurors was unanimous.
The victim’s lawyer, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, said Monday’s verdict was important both for her client and for the #MeToo movement.