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‘No Longer A Realistic Prospect’: Harvey Weinstein’s Assault Charges Dropped In The UK
U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service announced that two charges of indecent assault against Harvey Weinstein have been dropped due to it lacking any "realistic prospect!"
Trigger Warning: The following article contains mentions of sexual assault
Harvey Weinstein’s indecent assault charges have been dropped by the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which stated that there is not “a realistic prospect of conviction.” The CPS had authorized two charges of indecent assault against a woman by the disgraced director in June 2022. The incident was alleged to have taken place in London in 1996, but these charges have now been dropped.
The news was announced by the head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, Frank Ferguson, in a statement. “Following a review of the evidence in this case, the CPS has decided to discontinue criminal proceedings against Harvey Weinstein,” the statement read.
The Prosecution Service, which is responsible for continuously reviewing ongoing cases, found Weinstein’s case lacking any realistic prospect of conviction. “We have decided that there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.” The statement further revealed that the reasoning behind the decision has been conveyed to both parties.
They also encourage sexual assault victims to come forward, assuring that they will prosecute offenders “wherever our legal test is met.” With this declaration, the disgraced director won one of many legal battles in the midst of his ongoing 23-year sentence.
Earlier this year, his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals, marking another major victory for him and his legal team. In a 4-3 ruling, the court found that allowing women who weren’t directly involved in the case to testify against Weinstein was prejudicial. A new trial, including the specified conditions, has been scheduled for November, and the convict (Weinstein) is to remain imprisoned until that day or even further, depending on the verdict post-trial.
In 2022, the former filmmaker was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by a jury and was sentenced to 16 years in prison in California, to be served on top of his New York sentence of 23 years. Weinstein is currently serving his sentence, but it has become challenging amidst his deteriorating health. He was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and double pneumonia in his lungs, on top of his existing chronic ailments, and was transferred to Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward.
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