Indecent assault charges against shamed US film mogul Harvey Weinstein are DROPPED as CPS rules ‘no realistic prospect of conviction’

The Public Prosecution Service has dropped the charges of indecent assault against American film mogul Harvey Weinstein. There is ‘no realistic chance of a conviction’, according to the Public Prosecution Service (OM).

The 72-year-old producer was charged in London in June 2022 with two counts of sexual assault against a woman in August 1996.

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Unit, said: “After considering the evidence in this case, the CPS has decided to discontinue criminal proceedings against Harvey Weinstein.”

This comes after the New York Court of Appeals on April 25 overturned his 2020 rape conviction after ruling that he did not receive a fair trial, vacating his 23-year prison sentence and ordering a new trial.

But he remains in jail after being found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting Italian actress and model Evgeniya Chernyshova in Los Angeles and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In June 2022, Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, confirmed that Scotland Yard had jurisdiction to charge the former film producer.

The charges related to a female complainant in London in August 1996. The decision was made after the Crown Prosecution Service reviewed evidence gathered by the Met.

A statement from Scotland Yard at the time of the arrest said two offences were allegedly committed between July 31 and August 31, 1996.

The alleged victim, a woman, is now in her 50s.

The Public Prosecution Service has now decided to discontinue the criminal case against Weinstein.

Mr Ferguson said: ‘The CPS has a duty to continually review all cases and we have decided there is no realistic prospect of a conviction.

‘We have explained our decision to all parties.

‘We always encourage potential victims of sexual abuse to report to the police. We will then prosecute if the police meet our legal requirements.’

Weinstein is currently awaiting retrial in Manhattan on charges of rape and sexual assault.

The prosecution told the court he could face new charges as the court is “actively investigating” more allegations of sexual abuse against Weinstein.

“Some people who weren’t ready to speak out in 2020 appear to be ready to do so in 2024,” Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said earlier.

“We will consult with advisors as to what falls within the statute of limitations and we will do everything we can to ensure that the identities of all survivors are protected.”

Weinstein is serving a prison sentence in the US after being convicted in Los Angeles of rape and sexual misconduct in connection with a 2013 incident in which he showed up uninvited in a woman’s hotel room during a film festival in Los Angeles.

In February 2023, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

He is currently being held in New York City’s Rikers Island jail, awaiting a new trial in Manhattan after a 2020 rape conviction was overturned by a majority decision of the New York Court of Appeals earlier this year.

The ruling cited that “the trial court improperly admitted testimony alleging prior sexual acts against persons other than the accusers of the underlying crimes, for which no charges were filed,” which was “an abuse of discretion.”

In July, Weinstein was treated in hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs and Covid-19.

In 2020, the producer of hit films such as Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Gangs Of New York and Shakespeare In Love was stripped of his honorary title of CBE, awarded for his contribution to the British film industry.

He dominated Hollywood in the 1990s, winning 81 Oscars before allegations of sexual abuse were made against him during the #MeToo movement.

More than 80 women came forward to accuse the producer of sexual abuse and harassment.

The allegations first surfaced in a 2017 New York Times article detailing decades of alleged abuse.

The article names actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd as accusers.

During his four-year prison sentence, Weinstein struggled with health problems, including heart problems, mobility issues and diabetes.

In May of this year, he was transferred to Bellevue Hospital in New York, where doctors performed a battery of tests on him.

Attorney Arthur Aidala said Weinstein was taken to the hospital after arriving at Rikers Island.

Mr Aidala said: ‘They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. He looks like he needs a lot of help, physically. He’s got a lot of problems. He’s getting all sorts of tests. He’s a bit of a wreck health-wise.’

“He was not treated well. They refused to give him even a sip of water, no food, no toilet visits. He is a 72-year-old sick man.”