Harvey Weinstein charged with more sex offenses
Los Angeles, US, May 29 (efe-epa).- A new lawsuit filed in a New York court accuses Harvey Weinstein, who is serving 23 years in prison for rape and assault, of four more sexual offenses, with one of the victims alleging that she was 17 when he raped her.
The recent complaint filed on Thursday comes as the former film producer awaits trial in Los Angeles, where he faces another five alleged crimes that, if convicted again, could add 29 years to his jail time.
According to the judicial documents of the latest case, accessed by EFE, the four plaintiffs are identified as Jane Doe I, II, III and IV, and the complaint includes Harvey’s brother and partner Robert Weinstein as well as the movie producers Disney, Miramax and Doe Corp. 1-10 for being aware of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct and abuse of power.
The four offenses allegedly occurred between 1984 and 2013, and one of the plaintiffs claimed she was a 17-year old aspiring actress when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and raped her in 1994.
According to the accusation, the former producer threatened her that if she ever revealed what had taken place, he would not only make sure she never worked on any film, but also be pursued and harmed by his employees.
The most recent indictment dates back to 2013, when a 35-year-old woman allegedly met Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival and after an audition was forced to perform oral sex on him.
The other two allegations relate to similar situations in Cannes (France) and New York, in which Weinstein allegedly abused and raped the victims after promising to help with their careers.
Last week, the public prosecutor’s office in Los Angeles said the procedure to bring Weinstein to California for another trial would be delayed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
In Los Angeles, the former movie mogul faces five charges related to sexual misconduct at the heart of the Hollywood movie industry.
For its part, Weinstein’s conviction in New York marked a victory for the #MeToo movement in its fight against sexual abuse and assault.
It includes a 20-year imprisonment for first-degree criminal sex act against production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, and three years for the third-degree rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. EFE-EPA
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