LONDON — Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein won’t face charges of indecent assault in Britain, prosecutors announced on Thursday.
The Crown Prosecution Service, which in 2022 authorized two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein, said it decided to discontinue proceedings because there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.’’
“We have explained our decision to all parties,’’ the CPS said in a statement. ’’We would always encourage any potential victims of sexual assault to come forward and report to police, and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”
Weinstein became the most prominent villain of the #MeToo movement in 2017 when women began to go public with accounts of his behavior. After the revelations emerged, British police said they were investigating multiple allegations of sexual assault that reportedly took place between the 1980s and 2015.
In June 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service said it had authorized London’s Metropolitan Police Service to file two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein in relation to an alleged incident that occurred in London in 1996. The victim was in her 50s at the time of the announcement.
Unlike many other countries, Britain does not have a statute of limitations for rape or sexual assault.
Weinstein, who has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone, remains in custody in New York while awaiting retrial in Manhattan, prosecutors said in August.
After the retrial, he is due to start serving a 16-year sentence in California for a separate rape conviction in Los Angeles, authorities said. Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 while already serving a 23-year sentence in New York.
His 2020 conviction in Manhattan was thrown out earlier this year when the state’s top court ruled that the judge in the original trial unfairly allowed testimony against Weinstein based on allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Weinstein, the co-founder of the Miramax entertainment company and The Weinstein Company film studio, was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, having produced films such as “Pulp Fiction” and “The Crying Game.”
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Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed to this report.
Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer who has been accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women, will not be charged with indecent assault in Britain. The decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after a thorough investigation into allegations made against Weinstein.
The allegations against Weinstein first came to light in 2017 when multiple women, including actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, accused him of sexual harassment, assault, and rape. The #MeToo movement gained momentum as more women came forward with their own stories of abuse by Weinstein and other powerful men in the entertainment industry.
In Britain, several women also came forward with allegations against Weinstein, prompting the CPS to launch an investigation. However, after reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against Weinstein for indecent assault.
This decision has sparked outrage among advocates for victims of sexual assault, who argue that Weinstein has a long history of predatory behavior and should be held accountable for his actions. They point to the numerous allegations against him as evidence of a pattern of abuse that should not be ignored.
Weinstein’s legal team has maintained his innocence throughout the investigations and trials he has faced in both the United States and Britain. They argue that many of the allegations against him are false or exaggerated and that he has been unfairly targeted by the media and the public.
Despite the decision not to charge Weinstein with indecent assault in Britain, he still faces legal challenges in the United States. In 2020, he was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He also faces additional charges in Los Angeles, where he is accused of rape and other crimes.
The case of Harvey Weinstein has been a focal point in the #MeToo movement, which has brought attention to the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in various industries. While the decision not to charge him in Britain may be disappointing to some, it is important to remember that the fight against sexual misconduct is far from over. Victims must continue to speak out and demand justice for those who have been abused.
