Cassie Ventura says she fears for her safety if Combs is releasedpublished at 14:00 BST
14:00 BST
Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court
Image source, Jane Rosenberg / ReutersImage caption,
A courtroom sketch from during the trial shows Cassie Ventura on the witness stand, wiping tears during her testimony
Some of Combs’ victims submitted letters to the court, which the judge will consider when determining his sentence.
Singer Cassie Ventura, the rapper’s ex-girlfriend and a key witness for the government, wrote a letter which outlined her fears and concerns.
“I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up,” Ventura wrote, adding that she moved her family out of the New York area and is trying to stay as private as possible.
The letter is Ventura’s first public reflection since testifying in the trial – which she says caused her “tremendous emotional pain”.
She reiterated her allegations – that Combs abused her physically and sexually, forcing her to participate in days-long, drug-fuelled sex-parties.
She said the jury “failed to see” all of “the truths at hand” and that she hopes the judge would consider her fear and suffering when handing down a sentence.
“If there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe,” she said. “Although I can hope for justice and accountability, I have come to not trust anything.”