Two charges of indecent assault against Harvey Weinstein have been dropped by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which said that a conviction is not “realistic.”
The CPS authorized the charges against the disgraced Hollywood mogul in June of 2022, stemming from an event in August 1996. The alleged victim is a woman who is now in her 50s, the Metropolitan Police said at the time.
However, on Thursday, the charges were dropped completely, given that there is “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”
“Following a review of the evidence in this case, the CPS has decided to discontinue criminal proceedings against Harvey Weinstein,” the head of CPS’ special crime and counter-terrorism division Frank Ferguson said.
He continued: “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,” Ferguson added. “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.”
Weinstein was jailed for 23 years in New York in 2020 for rape and sexual assault. While the conviction was thrown out in April, ruling that Weinstein wasn’t given a fair trial, he is still being held in Rikers Island jail as he awaits retrial.
The disgraced Hollywood mogul was also sentenced to 16 years in a separate rape trial in California, which he is appealing.
Over 100 women have come forward with rape and assault allegations against Weinstein dating back to the late 70s.
