Renowned Hollywood director, Harvey Weinstein on Monday had added charges levelled against him, including predacious sexual assault.
The new charges were declared by Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., the Manhattan District Attorney in a statement on the official website of the district.
Part of the statement read, “the filing of a superseding indictment containing additional charges against HARVEY WEINSTEIN, 66. Pursuant to the D.A.’s Office’s ongoing investigation, the Grand Jury has charged WEINSTEIN with an additional count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree for a forcible sexual act against a third woman in 2006, as well as two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault, a Class A-II felony which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.”
Recall that Weinstein was arrested in New York and first appeared in court in May in connection with accusations of rape from two women. At a further court appearance in June, Weinstein pleaded not guilty.
In a statement, Weinstein’s attorney Benjamin Brafman, said: “Mr Weinstein will enter a plea of not guilty to the new charges. Mr Weinstein maintains that all of these allegations are false and he expects to be fully vindicated.”
“A Manhattan grand jury has now indicted Harvey Weinstein on some of the most serious sexual offences that exist under New York’s Penal Law,” said District Attorney Vance. “This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward. Our investigation continues.
In the same vein, Bill Cosby was convicted of sexual assault in April. Many more of his victims testified at his retrial than at his first trial in 2017, which ended in a mistrial. He is due to be sentenced on 24 September.