Harvey Weinstein Indecent Assault Charges Dropped in U.K.

The U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service will not pursue criminal charges against disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein saying there is not “a realistic prospect of conviction.”

In June 2022, the CPS authorized two charges of indecent assault against a woman by Weinstein. The alleged assaults were said to have taken place in London in 1996. These will now be dropped.

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Following a review of the evidence in this case, the CPS has decided to discontinue criminal proceedings against Harvey Weinstein. The CPS has a duty to keep all cases under continuous review and we have decided that there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”

“We have explained our decision to all parties. We would always encourage any potential victims of sexual assault to come forward and report to police and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”

This is the latest legal victory for Weinstein, who was in the middle of a 23-year sentence when he had his 2020 rape conviction overturned by the New York Court of Appeals earlier this year. In a 4-3 ruling the court found that allowing women who were not part of the case to testify about Weinstein’s behavior was prejudicial. A new trial has been tentatively set for November, with Weinstein remaining in prison for the time being.

An L.A. trial took place in Oct. 2022 where Weinstein was eventually convicted on three counts of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to 16 years in prison.