Weinstein charged with rape, sex abuse

HARVEY Weinstein was arrested and charged with rape and other abuse charges yesterday, months after allegations of sexual violence and harassment toppled the once-powerful Hollywood mogul.

Weinstein, 66, was charged with rape, criminal sex act, sexual abuse and sexual misconduct for cases involving two women.

“This defendant used his position, money and power to lure young women into situations where he was able to violate them sexually,” said prosecutor Joan llluzzi, as she read the charges in the New York Criminal Court.

Weinstein’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said that he plans to plead not guilty and his legal team will fight to dismiss the charges.

“These charges, we believe that they are constitutionally flawed,” he said.

“We believe that at the end of the process, Mr Weinstein will be exonerated.”

Weinstein was charged with three felonies – rape in the first degree, rape in the third degree and a criminal sexual act in the first degree – for forcible sexual acts against two women in 2013 and 2004, respectively.

In the complaint, a New York Police detective said that in 2004, Weinstein forced a woman to engage in oral sex with him.

The detective also said that in 2013, Weinstein kept a woman in a room against her will “and engaged in sexual intercourse with informant by forcible compulsion”, even though she had “clearly expressed her lack of consent to the act”.

After his arraignment yesterday, Weinstein posted $ 1 million (R12.46m) bail and surrendered his passport. – The Washington Post