Sexual assault in Hollywood New charges against Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein once dominated Hollywood - and abused his power for sexual assault. Now there are apparently further charges against the former film mogul.
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- A grand jury in New York has decided that Weinstein will soon have to face another trial for sex crimes.
- Weinstein was absent from Thursday's hearing due to health problems.
- The new charge is not related to the 2020 verdict, which was recently overturned.
- A new trial in that case is set to begin in November, while Weinstein also remains convicted of similar offenses in Los Angeles.
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is likely to face another sex crimes trial in New York soon. A so-called grand jury has cleared the way for further proceedings against the 72-year-old, according to US media reports.
A grand jury is a group of jurors who decide whether charges can be brought in a case after evidence has been presented by the public prosecutor's office.
Exactly what the new indictment is about remains unclear for the time being, as it will remain under seal until it is read out. According to information from the TV channel CNN, citing the public prosecutor's office, it could involve allegations of sexual assault against three women.
Weinstein himself was not present at a hearing on Thursday due to health problems. He was taken from prison to a New York hospital on Sunday and underwent emergency heart surgery.
Further trial to begin in November
According to reports, the new charges have nothing to do with the historic 2020 verdict against Weinstein, which was overturned by an appeals court in New York at the end of April. The public prosecutor's office had announced its intention to reopen this trial. The start date has been provisionally set for November 12.
If he is admitted for the hearing next week, Weinstein is expected to be formally charged on the new indictment in this trial.
Once all-powerful in Hollywood, Weinstein was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree rape in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Weinstein's assaults led to the MeToo movement
However, the sentence was overturned on appeal in April. Weinstein remains in prison while he appeals a separate conviction from 2022 in Los Angeles. There, he was found guilty of three sexual assaults and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The numerous assaults on women of which he is accused were instrumental in launching the global MeToo movement, in which women in particular drew attention to sexual assaults by men.
As a result, numerous people around the world - including many celebrities - have been severely incriminated by such allegations. Weinstein was also convicted of similar offenses in Los Angeles, which is why he remains in prison.
dpa
