The trial of an American "self-help" guru who for years presided over a secretive society of women sex slaves begins Tuesday in New York, where his former female supporters may be called to testify against him. Six people had been due to appear in the dock, but 58-year-old Keith Raniere will now be the only one to stand trial. The other five -- all women who held management positions in various organisations headed by Raniere, including US actress Allison Mack -- have pleaded guilty one by one and avoided going on trial. After the defection of several members, and an article in the New York Times exposed his activities, Raniere fled to Mexico in October 2017. According to exchanges during the selection of jurors, "Smallville" actress Mack, who was close to Raniere and pleaded guilty to racketeering charges last month, could also be called by the prosecution.

Source: dna May 07, 2019 08:26 UTC