LOS ANGELES – Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein will not be retried for alleged attacks on two women, a judge in Los Angeles ruled yesterday, after a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the charges.
The former movie mogul was convicted last year of raping a European actress in a Beverly Hills hotel a decade earlier. He was jailed for 16 years, a sentence he will serve after he completes a 23-year sentence imposed by a New York court.
But the jury in Los Angeles deadlocked on charges relating to two other women and prosecutors yesterday said they felt unable to proceed with a new trial.
Superior Court judge Lisa Lench granted the defence’s motion to dismiss the remaining charges.
A lengthy trial heard how the Shakespeare in Love producer had forced himself on young actresses trying to find a foothold in Hollywood.
Prosecutors said Weinstein exploited and abused women for years, and long enjoyed impunity because of his then-powerful position in the industry.
Bombshell allegations broke against him in 2017, launching the #MeToo movement and paving the way for hundreds of women to fight back against sexual violence in the workplace.
Dozens of women have now accused Weinstein of predatory behaviour.
The disgraced producer has long maintained his innocence and is appealing against his convictions in New York and Los Angeles. – AFP, March 15, 2023
