01x03 - The Trial

[bunniefuu]

[Gabrielle] Okay.

[somber piano notes]

It's a beautiful day…
[sniffles] …and I'm gonna knit.

And I think I've cried enough.
I've cried every day. [chuckles sadly]

I think I've cried every day
for the past like…

five weeks.

Just here and there.

I don't know how to express

really how this feels.

But I hope whatever happens
and whatever the outcome is…

that I make peace with it soon after

and that I can move forward,
doing the things that I wanna do.

And live a very private life
where I don't have to…

ever talk about this again.

I hate talking about this.

[church bells tolling]

[beeping]

[woman in Spanish]
An alert
from the United States embassy.

[man ]
Warning about
a sexual predator in Seville.

[woman ]
Advises all travelers
to this city to take extra precautions

to avoid contact
with this alleged sexual predator…

[man ]
Now to the US, which issued
a warning about a tour guide in Seville…

[man ]
According to the US embassy,

its citizens are indeed
being warned about the conduct

linked to alleged sexual assaults
by this man.

A man from Seville
who owns a travel agency.

Its website has all his details.

Including his first and last name.

[Gabrielle in English] When I was going

through the process
of trying to spread this,

I started seeing on Facebook
there was this new company.

And it had very similar marketing
to Discover Excursions.

It had former employees
from Discover Excursions working there.

It might be Manuel's company,
and so I was like,

"Does he have the gall to open a new…?"

"The same business again?"

So I went to the embassy, and I said,

"Look, I just want this
to be on your radar."

"He might be running a new business."

And, you know,
there was an alert that was sent,

a warning to the girls,
at one point, about him.

[in Spanish] I've done this for years,
and I've never seen an embassy,

from the US or another country,
issue an alert of this type.

US WARNS OF SEXUAL OFFENDER IN SEVILLE

US WARNS OF TOUR GUIDE
ACCUSED OF r*pe

US WARNS OF STUDENT
SEXUAL PREDATOR IN SEVILLE

SEXUAL ABUSE - ALERT IN SEVILLE

[Gabrielle in English] I don't remember
what it said,

but it was a warning to Americans
to basically be careful.

[Fernando in Spanish] Why does the US
do this? It was a complex investigation.

The events occurred outside of Spain.

POLICE INVESTIGATE
TOURISM ENREPRENEUR r*pe CLAIMS

Spain had no way to substantiate

some of the accusations made against him,
which dated back several years.

As a result, this man remained free
and continued operating.

[ominous music]

[in English] I wasn't really scared.

This whole time,
I haven't really been that scared.

I've just been really angry.

The moment I got scared
was when I realized

that I had to write down my statement.

I would say that the embassy
tried their best to help us,

but were very aware of letting us know
what their limitations were.

They were like,
"We've never had a case like this."

And we were like, "Okay, well,
can you help us figure it out?"

We didn't know what the f*ck to do.
How do you file a r*pe case in Spain?

Who do you even talk to?

All these women are coming to me,

so I can get statements from them.

And then we can pass them along
to the public prosecutor.

So I started going to these women,
asking them to write down their stories,

answer any questions, go to the embassy,

get questions answered,
send that answer to that girl.

Then I would get the form,
and I would get it signed from the women.

They would send that over.
Then the embassy, "We need it in Spanish."

And I was like, "You m*therf*ckers."

Okay, let me call my
abuela
,
who is this cute tiny, little Cuban woman.

Translate my r*pist's
r*pes of other women.

Perfect. Thank you so much for your help.

So that was going on for months
and months and months.

And that's how the embassy was helping me,
but I was doing all the work.

[Zora] It was comforting
to hear from another survivor.

And to hear that someone
was doing something about it.

I thought, "Not all of us can be ignored."

"With all the evidence of so many
experiencing this,

the police would surely do something
about it and not ignore it."

You know, it's…

When someone
doesn't investigate your case,

it's like telling you
that you're not important enough.

[excited scream]

[Zora] It's not fair what happened to me.

I feel bad looking
at that -year-old girl that I was.

I didn't deserve that.
I was so innocent and sweet.

¡Hola!

I really thought I was gonna die.

[dance music playing]

Manu invited my friends
and me out to keep on partying.

And he offered to buy me a drink.
And I said, "Okay, yeah, thank you."

[sinister chord]

I drank it, and then…

Yeah. From there, I just started to feel
really, really sick.

[music slows down]

[labored breathing]

And then I just started to throw up a lot,
while laying down on my side.

I didn't have any control over my body,
and so I would just fall down.

And I remember, just… I could not move.

And I remember not even being able to see.

I was so scared.
I thought, "I'm going blind."

I remember thinking
this is how I was gonna die.

And I was gonna die in that bathroom.

He said to my friends,
"You guys go and have more fun."

"I'll take care of Zora."

"I'll bring her back to the apartment,
and she'll be fine. It'll be safe."

He just kept on pushing
and pushing and pushing,

and telling people
to leave me alone with him.

I'm so, so grateful for my friends for,
you know, being smart enough.

My friends were like,
"No, we stick together."

Thank goodness.

It was so great
that they were able to protect me.

[menacing tones rise]

After I was drugged,
I thought maybe it was the bartender.

Maybe some stranger at the bar.

I never in a million years
would have thought it was Manu.

And it wasn't until a few years after
I saw there was a website

I think Gabrielle started.

And when I looked it up, I saw everything.

And then it clicked.

I told Gabrielle that I was happy to do
whatever I could do to lock this man up.

Because he is an awful criminal.

And I actually ended up
going back to Portugal.

And while I was there,

I filed a police report
about being drugged by him.

This is the police report that I filed.

POLICE

THE COMPLAINANT IS THE VICTIM

KNOWN SUSPECT
MANUEL BLANCO VELA

CRIMES AGAINST SEXUAL FREEDOM

And their response to the case…

It says, "Due to the lack of evidence,
I ordered dismissal

of the inquiry under Article ,

number two,
of the criminal procedure code."

So you just…

There's no other way to feel
but worthless.

[dog barking]

[Gabrielle] I knew it probably
started and ended with me.

If something happened to me,
this would've fallen apart.

[Lynn] Gabrielle, a -year-old girl,
maybe she was

when she was trying to actually get him.

And then these girls
would then rely on Gabrielle.

That was what was so hard for me,
to see these girls relying on Gabrielle

to get justice for them.

[Amanda] I really never
wanted to speak about it.

I didn't tell my family or my friends
until the possibility of a trial

and legal representation came up.

There's so much at stake,
and there's so much that should…

needs to be known
about how awful of a person he is,

that it felt
like an important opportunity.

I genuinely think people think
that I would have been worn down.

But I am so g*dd*mn stubborn.

[Amanda] Gabrielle had
a full-time job of being

our therapist and our secretary,
and also our legal, um…

like, helper.

And so, she has had
to wear all these hats,

while also dealing and coming to terms
with her own trauma.

You see my binder I have?

I did the whole f*cking investigation.

It's my best f*cking work.

Here. Here's your f*cking case.
Send him to prison.

[Abel in Spanish] Gabrielle Vega
contacts me in Spain.

She tells me what happened.

I have no doubt that her story is true.

I explained the legal process to her,
the steps we had to take.

And also the complexity of the matter,

given that some of the events
had occurred outside Spain.

The territory where they occurred
isn't even within the European Union.

There was also the challenge
of potential witnesses,

how the events had unfolded…

The complaint was filed in .

It's been seven years.

Why has it taken so long to go to trial?

Look, this was a clear case.

The police reports are there.
What are we waiting for?

[somber music playing]

[Lynn] So what are you thinking about?
The trial's in another… How many days?

-Thirteen days.
-What's today?

-Is it days?
-I think so. Or maybe less.

What are you thinking about it?

I'm not. I'm trying to not think about it.

It's like the only thing I could do is
just not think about it. I don't know.

Do you think you'd ever be willing
to go back to Spain? What do you think?

Mmm.

I don't know. There's been pressure
on me going back to Spain for the trial.

-Yeah. I can tell.
-I mean, part of me feels like I'll…

Like, if it doesn't go well,

that maybe it would have gone differently
if I was in the room.

But I feel like I would have had
a mental breakdown.

-Yeah.
-If I went to Spain.

I just don't wanna think about it.
I'd rather not know.

Even if you told me he's
on the other side of the country,

I still don't know
if I'd feel comfortable going to Spain.

Only if he's in prison, I would go.

But if he's not, I think I can make peace
with not going back there again.

I think you'll feel
a big sense of relief when it's over.

Yeah.

Knowing that you've done
everything you can do, right?

-I don't know what else I could do.
-No, there's nothing else you can do.

-There's nothing else.
-Yeah. I don't know.

[unsettling music playing]

[reporter in Spanish]
The trial against the Seville tour guide

accused of having r*ped
several American students begins.

He always followed the same pattern.

He took advantage of the fact
that they were young girls abroad.

Investigators are convinced this could be
a case of a sexual predator

because he may have actually assaulted
many other women.

The defendant was a tour guide

and the owner
of a travel company in Seville.

This is him entering
the National Court this morning,

covering himself with an umbrella.

[tense music playing]

[Abel] That day you find yourself
at the end of the process,

yet still always uncertain

as to how the court
will finally evaluate the evidence.

[Lynn in English] Part of me
wants to see the trial.

Because how can I not see this?

But we're not.
We've decided we're not gonna watch it.

It would probably be too difficult.

[in Spanish] Good morning.

Let's begin the hearing.
Counsel, please proceed.

[Abel] In addition to Gabrielle,
I filed charges

that I have maintained during the trial,

on behalf of two other women
who were assaulted.

MAY

SEXUAL as*ault

What occurred here
were acts of exhibitionism,

touching, and provocation.

[in English] I had asked the women
who would wanna go on.

And it was basically me,

and then Hayley
and Carly stepped up to that.

[in Spanish] Amanda Gormsen
was another one of the victims.

At the time, we supported her complaint.

What the court required from us
was a power of attorney for litigation.

Before proceedings began,
an appeal for reconsideration was filed

regarding the legal representation
of Amanda Gormsen.

However, given that the trial
was starting today,

we've already issued an order
rejecting the appeal for reconsideration.

And we now inform you accordingly.

[Abel] I filed the appeal,
and it was dismissed.

The only thing it would have done
is lead to a suspension, a debate,

which, in any case, would have resulted
in further delays in the proceedings.

[Amanda in English] It's a failure
across a lot of different systems.

I think, even when you try,

you can't actually
get anything accomplished,

or get results or closure

because the systems are
so confusing and slow,

and, um… unclear.

So even if you attempt,

it feels, like, futile to continue.

[in Spanish] The criminal act
doesn't disappear

just because the court
has not accepted you as the accuser.

The accusation remains.
The act was not erased.

The offense still stands,

and the possibility
of filing a complaint continues.

[in English] I'm disappointed a little.

I'm nervous because I had all these women,
and now it's just me and

two other women, the original two.

When there were a lot of women
who wanted to be part of this case.

[judge in Spanish]
It's time for the defendant to testify.

Please sit there
in one of these first chairs,

and move the microphone close to you.

[Abel] To encounter a person like this,

with that, shall we say,
ease to commit crimes he has had…

We have had cases in Spain
of, perhaps, a serial r*pist.

But in that case,
maybe there were four or five assaults.

Which is already a lot.

But in this case, it goes far beyond that.
It is beyond comprehension.

[Manuel clears throat]

[judge] As the defendant in this trial,
you have the right not to plead guilty,

not to testify against yourself,
or not testify at all.

[Fernando] I'd be really surprised
if the case ended in a conviction.

What we have here
is one person's testimony

against another's.

Do you wish to answer questions
from the prosecutor,

the private prosecution, and the defense?

I have no problem answering
the questions of the prosecutor,

my lawyer, and Your Honor, if you wish.

[judge] So you won't answer
the private prosecution.

Correct.

That was to be expected,
because it is common for the defendant

not to answer
opposing counsel's questions.

[interviewer in English]
What do you think Manuel will say?

I don't know. Probably he won't say
anything that intelligent.

I don't f*cking know what he's gonna say.

"It didn't happen."
"Never seen this girl in my life."

I don't know what he'll say.

Anything this guy says, it's like,
why would I give a f*ck?

[in Spanish] The defense.

With your permission, Your Honor.

Manuel.

Regarding the trip to Morocco
on November ,

do you deny having had any kind
of relationship with Gabrielle Vega?

No relationship at all.

Can you tell us
what happened in that room?

I remember that I went
with the three girls.

I saw them upstairs in the café.

There was a café-bar upstairs.

From there, we went to the room
and ordered champagne, I think.

I drank a glass,
and about one hour later, I left.

That's what happened.

You did not have any sexual interaction
with any of the…?

Not at all.

No further questions, Your Honor.

This man was going
to keep denying everything,

as he had up to the trial,
where he continued denying it.

[judge] Very well.
The state prosecutor has the floor.

Good afternoon.

Regarding Gabrielle's account,

apart from denying it,

you stated that you did not recognize
Gabrielle's face or name.

Do you maintain that statement?

I learned about this
through the Internet, in …

[Ana] No. I'm not referring to the events.

I'm referring to what you said
about not remembering her face or name,

and that you only saw them
on social media.

You had never seen her before?

Through… As a result of the trip.
[clears throat]

So you had, in fact, seen her.

Yes, but I… You see, I must've seen…

I probably had seen her,
but I didn't remember her

when I saw her on TV saying that.

I know exactly
who I've had relationships with,

and I haven't had any type of relationship
with that person.

[Abel] I saw him with the conviction

and, excuse the expression, c*ck,

of, "Nothing will happen to me
because I did nothing."

But that is completely false
because he did.

On trips, you travel with many people.

I can't remember
all the faces of the people I meet.

At that time, in ,

you were the administrator
of Voodoo Travel.

[Manuel] Voodoo Travel was the legal name
for tax and accounting purposes.

And Discover Excursions
is the commercial name.

[Ana] You started out as an intern?

Yes. I started there in ,
I think, as an intern.

Then I was an employee. Then the director.

And then they sold me the company.

We updated the website
and made changes in the office as well.

[Fernando] The company was
almost bankrupt.

Their finances weren't good.

And he turned it around
by flooding universities with advertising.

He went to universities all over Spain,
and even across Europe,

distributing posters and brochures,

promoting their services

and offering very competitive prices

to get people to book with him.

And when this happened in ,
the company was doing very well.

We ended up closing in as a result
of these girls' television appearances.

Did you have an unusual relationship

with your clients,
taking them to your rooms?

Or how did that work?

I, personally,
during the time I worked at that company,

I had some relationships with girls
on trips, but it was always consensual.

You also stated that, on many occasions,
clients fell asleep in your house

and nothing happened.

Let's see, clients didn't come
to my house.

In my personal life,

am I not allowed to get involved
with people? Just asking.

Rhetorical question.
Please proceed, Prosecutor.

No further questions, Your Honor.

You may take a seat in the back.

[Manuel] Thank you.

[Gabrielle in English] It's just funny.

I spent so much of my life
working on this, and then to see

him on the stand for minutes,

almost laughing at points,
contradicting himself,

lying, saying he's never seen me
in his life.

Meanwhile, my whole life
was almost destroyed because of it.

[in Spanish] Manuel Blanco maintained
the same version of events,

asserting his complete innocence
and having done nothing serious.

He has that right to lie, which I oppose.

[man] There he is.

There he is.

-[woman] Think you're going to jail?
-[Manuel laughs]

-Are you laughing?
-I'm not.

-Anything to say to the victims?
-No, sorry.

[woman] Why not?

Tell me. How is it possible that all
of their statements are so similar?

-Don't touch me.
-[Manuel] Stop.

[woman] I'm just talking to you.

If they don't know each other,
how do all their statements match?

[tense music]

[Gabrielle in English] It's still dark
here at : in the morning.

It's a very big day for me.

Everything I've been working for
all these years,

to just be able to hold him accountable
and say what happened to me.

And…

And to just get my life back.

[sniffles]

So, we'll see what happens.

[in Spanish] It's true that Gabrielle's
testimony is very solid, consistent.

But she won't travel to Spain to testify.
She'll do it by videoconference.

[Abel] I've always been in favor
of doing it in person.

But there was a problem.

It was coming face to face
with the aggressor, which is distressing.

What worried her
was the fact that he would be nearby.

The possibility of running into him
in a hallway or somewhere terrified her.

[woman in English]
Morning there in the US.

This is the National High Court speaking.

And the judge would like you to state
your full name aloud, please.

Gabrielle Nicole Vega.

[in Spanish] If the victim
gives a solid statement,

as in her testimony to NBC,
the case could end in a conviction.

But if she doesn't,
it will be much more difficult.

-[woman] Do you swear to tell the truth?
-Yes.

[judge in Spanish] Respond
to the questions from the prosecutor.

[Ana] If it please Your Honor,
can you tell the judges

what you remember
from the night of November , ?

[in English] Yeah. So,
I had fallen asleep, and at one point,

I don't know how long I was asleep,
but I had woken up.

[distorted music pulsating]

No one was in the room,
and I was very confused.

But I knew I should go to the bathroom.

So, I opened the bathroom door,

and I saw Nicole, Ashley
and Manuel in the shower together.

And so, I closed the door when I saw them.

And the three of them
came out of the bathroom.

And I went in to use the toilet.

And so, I sat on the toilet.

And when I was sitting on the toilet,
I was facing the door.

And I didn't lock the door.

And, um…

And…

All I remember is Manuel coming in.

And, um, after that,
the only thing I remember is him

forcing me to perform oral sex on him.

And then he pushed my head,
and I fell this way.

And that was the only thing I remembered
until I woke up the next morning.

[in Spanish] Her version of events
has always been identical and consistent.

[Ana] Did you have any kind
of physical discomfort

at the time you woke up?

[in English] Yes,
when I woke up the next morning,

I had pain in my abdomen,
my lower abdomen,

and I was extremely sore
in my a**l region.

And I had bruises on my knees.

[Abel in Spanish] To clarify,
when asked by the prosecutor

about where you felt pain,
you referred to the a**l area,

and then you mentioned the lower abdomen.

Were you referring to the vaginal area?

[in English] Yes.

[Abel in Spanish] I found her
forceful, emotional,

because she had to relive the situation.

And Gabrielle, well,
I think she was very clear and precise

in her account and informing the court,

not only about how the events unfolded,

but also the emotional weight
of that moment and of testifying in court.

[judge] Defense counsel.

[Beatriz] When you returned to Spain,

did you go to a doctor to have
the injuries you say you had examined?

[in English] No, I did not
go to the doctor, but I had spoken to…

I wanna be clear.
I did not know the language.

I did not know how to say
the word "r*pe" in Spanish,

and so I never went.

[in Spanish] No further questions.

[Abel] Good afternoon, Gabrielle.

Have you been affected
in your relationships with other men?

[in English] Yes, I have been.

I find it very difficult to have
any intimate relationships with men.

I have not been in a real relationship
with any man since then.

And I think
it directly correlates to this.

[Abel in Spanish] Thank you.
No further questions, Your Honor.

[interviewer in English] Now
I'm gonna ask you about the future.

-Mm-hmm.
-What do you dream of?

What do I dream of?

I get real excited about the idea of just…

Just, like, having a very simple life.

I don't know.
I'm getting a dog after the trial.

A little puppy. And it sounds like…
just a little thing, but just like…

I'm just excited to just
be out in the countryside.

To be outside, to have my dog,
to have my friends,

to just, like, go take photographs.

Every day, all day, like, paint.
Do the things that I wanna do.

As I think even further
into the future, like,

if I meet someone and I fall in love,

and I'm lucky enough
to have a baby one day…

[gentle music playing]

[whimpers and sighs]

[sighs]

I just feel like I'll be able to…

know that I did the best I could
to make sure the world is a bit safer.

[reporter in Spanish] Big day in the trial
against the Seville tour guide

accused of sexually assaulting
North American students

on the trips he organized.

[Fernando] We have two witnesses,
the two girls who were with Gabrielle Vega

and Manuel Blanco in the Tangier
hotel room where the events transpired.

NATIONAL COURT

[woman in English] I have Ashley with me.

[judge in Spanish] All right. I'll give
the floor to the prosecutor first.

Good afternoon.

With your permission, Your Honor.

You will testify
about what you can remember

from a night during which you shared
a hotel room in Tangier

with Gabrielle Vega.

[Ashley in English] Correct.

[in Spanish] And with Nicole as well.

-[Ashley] That is correct.
-[Nicole] Yes.

[in Spanish] This testimony could be key,
depending on what the two of them say,

in determining whether Manuel Blanco
is convicted or acquitted.

Um…

[in English] We were staying
in a room together, the three of us.

And the three of us met up that week
when we got back to Salamanca.

[animated chatter]

I started asking them about that night.
I was just like, "Do you guys remember?"

"Like…"

"He came into the room, and then
I don't really remember anything."

And then,
before I had mentioned something,

Nicole was like,
"I don't remember anything."

And I remember…

asking Ashley.

"I remember he was in the bathroom."

And she told me he was
in the bathroom with me for minutes.

And I was like,
"Well, I think I was r*ped."

And it was just, like

silent.

Because I think they realized
what had happened.

We never talked about it again after.

Ever.

[Ana in Spanish]
What do you remember from that night?

[Nicole in English] I remember
we were in Morocco,

and we stayed in the hotel.

And then, the leader of the organization,
Manuel, he came up to the room,

and he got champagne for us.

[Ashley] Then we drank the champagne
and then hung out in the room with Manuel.

[Ana in Spanish] Do you remember playing
any kind of sexual games

with the defendant that night?

[Ashley in English] I do,
but not what they were.

[Nicole] I do remember him
being flirtatious with the three of us

and asking us some questions.

But I don't remember specifically
what was happening at that time.

[Ashley] At that time,
Gabby was getting mad at us

because she expressed interest in Manuel.

Nicole and I went to bed,

and the last thing that I remember is
she was in the bathroom with Manuel.

[dramatic music playing]

[Ana in Spanish] When you say
Manuel and Gabrielle were in the bathroom,

is it because you saw them enter it?

[Nicole in English] I feel like I have
a memory of them entering the bathroom.

[Ana in Spanish] Do you remember
if Ashley, you, and Manuel

went into the bathroom,
and then Gabrielle came in?

[Ashley in English]
No. I do not remember that.

[Nicole] No, I don't remember.

[in Spanish] Defense counsel.

[Beatriz] Did you notice injuries
on Gabrielle's knees the next morning?

-[Ashley] I don't remember.
-[Nicole] No.

[Beatriz in Spanish] When did you hear
that Gabrielle said Manuel had r*ped her?

[Nicole in English]
I found out about it years later.

[Ashley] I didn't see her until it was
on
The Today Show
years later.

-[in Spanish] No further questions.
-[judge] Thank you.

We've finished with the testimony
and can disconnect.

The case is submitted for judgment.
You may leave.

[Fernando] These testimonies

partially contradict the account given
by the main victim, Gabrielle Vega.

[Abel] Their versions of events
contrast with Gabrielle's.

The two girls have not provided
any additional witnesses either.

If the court takes into account
these witness testimonies,

it may end up benefitting the defendant.

It would be outrageous to me if this man,

and sorry to use this expression,
were to get away scot-free.

[discordant music]

[in English] So it's the day
after the trial, and, um…

I've been thinking
about what Ashley said during the trial,

and how angry she seemed, being there.

I mean, I definitely think
she believes I wasn't r*ped.

I have suffered for years because of that.

I've literally suffered for years
because of what happened.

And somebody can walk into a room and say,

"Well, they expressed interest."

And?

And?

The concept of consent

is so clear.

I was completely…

incoherent.

I could not stand on my own.

And I was attacked.

Where is the consent in that?

[Abel in Spanish] After the testimony,

I contacted her. I wrote to her.

I told her how the trial had gone
and shared my impressions,

and that we just had to wait
for the ruling.

That I was confident
it would result in a conviction.

And I also told her that in the event
that Manuel Blanco were acquitted,

unless she decided otherwise,
my position would be to appeal.

[in English] I don't want to appeal.

Whatever happens, I… I… I can't, um…

keep doing this.

I can do it. I could do it.

I'm capable of it.
But I don't wanna do it anymore.

[Lynn] In my heart, I know that she's
gonna be the one that takes this guy down.

He's gonna be sorry he ever met her,
that he ever saw her name.

I'm sure he already is sorry.

And then I think to myself,

if it doesn't go how we want it to go,

there's gonna be a lot of other girls
that see this show we're filming today,

and they're gonna, you know… Exposing him.

There are gonna be victims
that we don't know about.

I'm sure some of those girls will be
willing to put him through the process.

[Jordan] I want him to be put away.

I want him to be off the streets
and no longer a threat to women.

But I also…
I want this to be done for her.

She doesn't…

I care deeply about her.

She does not deserve
to have to relive this

over and over and over again.

She deserves to be free of it,

and she's not gonna be free
until after this trial.

[Amanda] He completely affected
how she's able…

how all of us are able
to move through the world,

and our mental health.

Yeah, I just hope
that there's justice in that regard.

That, um…

he's able to be recognized as a r*pist
and recognized as a predator.

And that we get
some sort of closure in that regard.

I am very cynical

when it comes to women receiving justice
for these kinds of crimes.

I hope that it does…
it does go somewhere.

[Zora] I think he'll be found guilty.

He should probably spend
the rest of his life in prison.

[Sarah T.] I think a lot of women know

that it's incredibly difficult
to get convictions.

So I at least hope
that this case can bring

more public notoriety to him.

He deserves it. He's a terrible person.

I'm not afraid
because I'm telling the truth.

He's the one who should be afraid.
And I think that he is.

There are people like this out there.

And it can be so hard
to… to really accept that.

Because if you really understood
how many monsters are out there…

Oh my God, you wouldn't
wanna leave your house.

[Sarah C.] This idea that
it doesn't happen in my world,

I think needs to be reconsidered,

because it happens more
than we want to acknowledge.

I have to believe
that he'll be held responsible

because I think men keep doing this,
thinking that they won't be.

Something has to change.

We're here
because we aren't afraid of him.

There was nothing special about you.

You were just somebody who chose
your victims because we were vulnerable,

and because you thought
that we would be quiet about it.

And you were wrong.

I think that he knows that it's like…
That this is the end of the story for him.

[dramatic chord]

[video call ringtone]

[Gabrielle]
Hi.

Hi. Good morning, Gabrielle.

I have a feeling.

Do you have a feeling? What feeling?

Is it a verdict?

-Yes.
-Okay.

He's guilty.

[Gabrielle cries]

Let me call my dad.

[line ringing]

[Lynn]
We know!

How do you know?

Ana called us.

[father]
Ana was talking to me
when you called…

[Lynn]
Gabby! It's so amazing! You did it!

Oh my God.

Can you believe it?

No.

-[Lynn]
It's so awesome.
-I know.

I know.

I literally can't believe it.

[Lynn]
I'm in shock. I mean,
I wanted to believe it, but I'm in shock.

Me too.

[inspirational music playing]

Okay.

I…

genuinely have no idea how to even begin.

So far,

this, today, February , ,

is the best day of my life,
and I will never forget it.

I'm gonna go move to the countryside.

And I'm gonna buy myself a mule,
and I'm gonna name her Gabby.

And every day that I look at that mule,

I'm just gonna be reminded
of something that is stubborn and loving

and full of f*cking perseverance,

and that you can do
whatever the f*ck you want in this life,

as long as you are honest and true.

And you can send bad guys to prison.

[laughs]

It's the f*cking best feeling
in the world, if you ask me.

[music fades]