No trial in Great Britain: Proceedings against Harvey Weinstein discontinued

No trial in Great Britain
Proceedings against Harvey Weinstein discontinued

05.09.2024, 17:07

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At least in Great Britain, former film mogul Harvey Weinstein is unlikely to face further prosecution. Proceedings against the 72-year-old have now been dropped here. Nevertheless, he remains in custody in the USA, where he has already been convicted of sexual offenses.

In Great Britain, proceedings against former US film producer Harvey Weinstein have been dropped. The public prosecutor's office announced that it had made this decision after examining the evidence in the case and coming to the conclusion that “there is no longer a realistic prospect of a conviction.” This was reported by the BBC. Weinstein had been accused of two sexual assaults on a woman in London.

The public prosecutor admitted the charges in June 2022. According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police at the time, the two alleged attacks are said to have taken place in London between July 31 and August 31, 1996. The woman is said to be around 50 years old today.

Since 2017 repeated allegations

Fallen film mogul Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault in New York in February 2020. But the New York State Supreme Court overturned the verdict in April 2024. The reason: In 2020, the judge had allowed testimony from women who were not victims of the charges but who testified negatively about Weinstein. These statements may have influenced the jury. Weinstein is due to appear in court again in a retrial on November 12.

Despite the Supreme Court overturning the verdict, Weinstein remains in custody in New York, as he was also convicted of sex crimes in another case in Los Angeles. In early 2023, the sentence was set at 16 years in prison.

The former Hollywood producer had been accused of numerous sexual offenses since the fall of 2017. Reports published at the time in the New York Times and the New Yorker, which described Weinstein's behavior in detail, helped trigger the #MeToo movement.