Updated 3 October 2020 at 12:25 IST
Harvey Weinstein charged of 6 new counts of sexual assault; already serving 23 yrs in jail
Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein has been charged with six more counts of forcible sexual assault in Los Angeles, the city’s District attorney said.
Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein has been charged with six more counts of forcible sexual assault in Los Angeles, the city’s District attorney said on October 2. The latest charges involve two victims who have accused Weinstein of three felony counts of forcible rape and three counts of forcible oral copulation, Vulture reported. As per a statement by LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey, all the events occurred more than a decade ago.
Weinstein, who was convicted of sex crimes earlier this year, now faces four counts of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, two counts of sexual battery by restraint and one count of sexual penetration by use of force, involving five victims for crimes that span from 2004 to 2013 in the Los Angeles areas.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Weinstein has denied all claims maintaining that all sexual encounters of Weinstein have been “consensual". Speaking to Vulture, he said that he was not in a position to comment on the latest accusation now and would do so after learning more about them.
Currently serving 23 year term
The Hollywood mogul is currently serving a 23 year jail sentence in New York. The initial criminal sexual assault charge came from Miriam Mimi Haleyi, who was a production assistant and said that he assaulted her in 2006. The jury also determined that Weinstein raped former aspiring actor Jessica Mann at a hotel in 2013.
In March this year after being transferred to New York state’s maximum-security Wende correctional facility in order to carry out his 23-year sentence, Weinstein was diagnosed with COVID-19. In rejecting the settlement deal the judge noted that the agreement did not talk about an admission of guilt and Weinstein would himself not have to make the payment for the settlement amount since it would be covered by insurance.
The Harvey Weinstein case is a landmark of the MeToo movement, which has brought a flurry of sexual assault and harassment allegations against powerful men and prompted conversations about gender and misconduct in all walks of life.
Published By : Riya Baibhawi
Published On: 3 October 2020 at 12:25 IST