A grand jury in New York City has voted to indict former film mogul and accused sexual predator Harvey Weinstein on rape and criminal sex act charges.
Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr announced the indictment today in a statement, saying that it brings Weinstein another step closer to justice:
This indictment brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged. Our office will try this case not in the press, but in the courtroom where it belongs. The defendant’s recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process is predictable. We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand.
I thank the heroic survivors for their strength throughout this process. I also thank Commissioner James O’Neill and members of the New York City police department for their dedication to this case. This investigation remains active and ongoing.
The announcement follows a statement earlier from Weinstein’s team announcing he would not testify in front of the grand jury, saying that he had not been given enough time to prepare. Weinstein’s spokesperson says he was only informed of the charges after he turned himself in to police on Friday, and that a request for an extension was denied.
Weinstein faces rape and criminal sex act charges involving two women in the state of New York. He has been accused of varying degrees of sexual misconduct by a number of women. He is being investigated by police in California and the UK.
The 66-year-old has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex.
