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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
The Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued criminal proceedings against Harvey Weinstein following an alleged sexual assault in London in 1996.
It was alleged that Weinstein twice indecently assaulted a woman, who is now aged in her 50s, between July 31 and August 31 1996.
On Thursday (5 September), the CPS said: “Following a review of the evidence in this case, the CPS has decided to discontinue criminal proceedings against Harvey Weinstein.
“The CPS has a duty to keep all cases under continuous review and we have decided that there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism division, said the decision to discontinue legal proceedings against Weinstein had been explained to “all parties” involved.
“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,” he continued.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police at the time of the arrest said it had been alleged two offences were committed between July 31 and August 31 1996.
Weinstein, 72, is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence after he was found guilty in 2020 of rape and sexual assault in New York.
In June 2024, the conviction was tossed by appeals judges who said jurors shouldn’t have heard testimony from women who had accused the film producer of misconduct but whose allegations weren’t part of the case.
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Try for freeA retrial has been tentatively scheduled for November 12.
Ashley Judd, the first actor to come forward with sexual harassment allegations against the former filmmaker, said that the decision is “unfair to survivors”.
The Weinstein revelations launched the #MeToo movement in 2017, which saw women from all corners of society come forward to talk about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault.
More than 80 women in the film industry came forward to accuse him of non-consensual sexual activity.
Charmed star Rose McGowan alleged that Weinstein had raped her, while Shallow Hal actor Gwyneth Paltrow and Maleficent star Angelina Jolie accused the director of harassment. Salma Hayek also reported that Weinstein had sexually harassed her.
Weinstein’s lawyer claimed he was denied a fair trial after he became the “poster boy” for the #MeToo movement as they made the case for throwing out his rape and sexual assault convictions.
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