Harvey Weinstein Charged With Rape
Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been charged in New York with rape and several counts of sexual abuse stemming from two separate accusers.
Mr Weinstein has denied committing any non-consensual sex acts. He is now out on bail, wearing a monitoring device.
A statement from the New York Police Department said Mr Weinstein “was arrested, processed and charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women”.
During a brief court appearance, during which Mr Weinstein did not speak, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said the former mogul had “used his position, money and power to lure young women into situations where he was able to violate them sexually”.
Mr Weinstein was released on a $1m bail bond. His lawyer Ben Brafman told reporters outside the court that the disgraced mogul would enter a not guilty plea. “We intend to move very quickly to dismiss these charges,” Mr Brafman said. “We believe that they are constitutionally flawed. We believe that they are not factually supported by the evidence.” In its statement, the New York Police Department thanked “these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice”. The identity of one of the women whose accusations prompted the charges was confirmed by her lawyer on Friday. Lucia Evans, a former actress, had already publicly accused Mr Weinstein of forcing her into oral sex in 2004. “This is an emotional moment,” her lawyer Carrie Golberg said in a statement. “Today is big. But sexual violence is still happening. “A victim or offender’s fame should not matter. These cases must be prosecuted.”
These are the first criminal charges against Mr Weinstein,