Posted on October 1, 2018 at 1:30 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

The central figure in the sexual-abuse scandal that caused this year’s Nobel Prize in literature to be delayed has been convicted of rape.

The Guardian reports that a Swedish court unanimously found Jean-Claude Arnault guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison.

Arnault’s lawyer has previously said his client denied all allegations and would appeal if convicted.

In addition to the woman who accused Arnault of rape, eighteen other women have come forward to complain about sexual harassment by the photographer.

These accusers claimed that some of the harassment occurred at properties owned by the Swedish Academy, which administers the Nobel prizes.

Additionally, Arnault’s wife, poet and writer Katarina Frostenson, was on the Nobel committee. She resigned after the claims emerged.

The Swedish Academy has said it will announce the 2018 literature winner next year, in conjunction with the 2019 winner, while a separate group, dubbed The New Academy, is hosting its own literature prize for this year only.

Learn more about today’s developments in The Guardian.

Categories: Today in Books

Tagged As: Awards, Scandal, The Guardian

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