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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 10 May 2022
Accuser testifies in Mario Batali sexual misconduct trial

By PHILIP MARCELO move — waived his right
Associated Press to a jury trial and opted in-
BOSTON (AP) — Mario stead to have a judge de-
Batali's sexual misconduct cide his fate.
trial opened Monday in a Batali, who pleaded not
Boston court with his ac- guilty to indecent assault
cuser recounting how she'd and battery in 2019, could
been "shocked, surprised face up to 2 1/2 years in jail
and alarmed" as the celeb- and be required to register
rity chef aggressively kissed as a sex offender if convict-
and groped her while tak- ed.
ing selfies at a restaurant in Batali is among a number
2017. of high-profile men who
The 32-year-old Boston- have faced a public reck-
area software company oning during the #MeToo
worker said she felt con- social movement against
fused and powerless to do sexual abuse and harass-
anything to stop Batali as ment in recent years.
he grabbed her "in a way The 61-year-old was once
that I have never been a Food Network fixture on
touched before." shows like "Molto Mario"
"It was all happening so and "Iron Chef America."
quickly and it was happen- Celebrity chef Mario Batali listens at Boston Municipal Court on the first day of his pandemic- But the ponytail-and-or-
ing essentially the whole delayed trial, Monday, May 9, 2022, in Boston. ange Croc-wearing per-
time," the woman testified Associated Press sonality's high-flying career
in Boston Municipal Court. crumbled amid sexual mis-
"Just a lot of touching." lawsuit pending in Suffolk recall going to Eataly and the woman said. "Squeez- conduct allegations.
She said she felt embar- County Superior Court in maintained she isn't speak- ing my vagina to pull me Four women accused him
rassed until she saw other Boston. ing out for financial gain. closer to him, as if that's a of inappropriate touch-
women step forward to "She's not being truthful," She also strongly pushed normal way to grab some- ing in 2017, after which he
share similar encounters Fuller said. "This is being fab- back at Fuller for question- one." stepped down from day-
with Batali. ricated for money and for ing why none of the many But Fuller argued the ac- to-day operations at his res-
"This happened to me and fun." photos taken with Batali cuser isn't a credible wit- taurant empire and left the
this is my life," the woman During cross examination, that night showed the al- ness. He honed in on the since-discontinued ABC
said. "I want to be able to he produced financial leged assault. woman recently admitting cooking show "The Chew."
take control of what hap- statements showing the The woman said the pho- to charges of violating a Batali has offered an apol-
pened, come forward, say woman ate at Eataly, the tos were all taken rela- judge's instructions while ogy, acknowledging the
my piece and have every- Italian marketplace Batali tively close up and didn't serving on the jury in an un- allegations "match up" with
one be accountable for once owned, weeks after show how Batali, who she related criminal trial in 2018. ways he has acted.
their actions." the encounter and contin- said was visibly drunk, was The woman, who had "I have made many mis-
But Batali's lawyer, Anthony ued to patronize the Boston grabbing her private ar- claimed she was clairvoy- takes and I am so very sorry
Fuller, sought to discredit bar where the alleged as- eas, touching her face and ant in a jury selection ques- that I have disappointed
her, arguing that the as- sault took place. even sticking his tongue in tionnaire, maintained in my friends, my family, my
sault never happened. "You go to the restaurant of her ear. She said he also court Monday she can pre- fans and my team," he
He said the accuser has a the guy who you claimed invited her up to his hotel dict major events before said in an email newslet-
financial incentive to lie as brutally assaulted you?" he room afterward, which she they happen "to a certain ter at the time. "My behav-
she's seeking more than said. "That doesn't make declined. extent." ior was wrong and there
$50,000 in damages from sense." "I have never been Monday's trial opened af- are no excuses. I take full
Batali in a separate civil The woman said she didn't touched before like that," ter Batali — in a surprise responsibility."q

More human remains in Lake Mead

found amid water level drop

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A week was a bighorn sheep, but formed by Hoover Dam
after a decades-old body saw what appeared to be between Nevada and Ari-
was found in receding Lake a human jaw and called zona.
Mead, authorities in Las Ve- park rangers. The National In that case, police said the
gas are trying to identify a Park Service confirmed in body was a man who had
second set of newly discov- a statement that the bones been shot, probably be-
ered human remains. found were human. tween the mid-1970s and
Two sisters from the Las Ve- Investigators are not treat- the early 1980s because he
gas suburb of Henderson ing the case as a homicide, was wearing shoes manu-
were paddle boarding on Las Vegas police said. The factured during that pe-
the drought-stricken Colo- remains are currently with riod.
rado River reservoir when the Clark County Coroner's Drought has dropped the
This April 25, 2022 photo provided by the Southern Nevada Wa- they spotted bones Sat- Office. Lake Mead water level so
ter Authority shows the top of Lake Mead drinking water Intake urday in the Callville Bay The discovery came after a much that Las Vegas' up-
No. 1 above the surface level of the Colorado River reservoir
behind Hoover Dam. area of the lake. body in a barrel was found permost water intake be-
Associated Press Lindsey Melvin told KLAS-TV May 1 along newly ex- came visible two weeks
that they thought at first it posed shoreline of the lake ago.q