Police in New York believe that they have sufficient evidence to arrest Harvey Weinstein, after Boardwalk Empire actress Paz de la Huerta came forward with allegations of two separate incidents of sexual assault.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Detective Nicholas DiGaudio, who is leading the investigation into the disgraced producer, said “I believe based on my interviews with Paz that from the NYPD standpoint, we have enough to make an arrest.”
De la Huerta told Vanity Fair that Weinstein first sexually assaulted her in 2010, saying that they had met at a bar, and that he insisted upon being let inside for a drink after dropping her off at her apartment in Tribeca. She said:
“Immediately when we got inside the house, he started to kiss me and I kind of brushed [him] away … Then he pushed me onto the bed and his pants were down and he lifted up my skirt. I felt afraid … It wasn’t consensual … It happened very quickly … He stuck himself inside me … When he was done he said he’d be calling me. I kind of just laid on the bed in shock.”
The actress alleges that a second incident took place after Weinstein showed up unannounced at her building several months later:
“He hushed me and said, ‘let’s talk about this in your apartment.’ I was in no state. I was so terrified of him … I did say no, and when he was on top of me I said, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ He kept humping me and it was disgusting. He’s like a pig … He raped me.”
While there have been numerous claims made in relation to Weinstein, the fact that this alleged incident occurred after June 2006 means that it it still within the statute of limitations for rape in the first degree, meaning it has the potential to be prosecuted.
Detective DiGaudio has provided material relating to the investigation to New York District Attorney Maxine Rosenthal, who has also received letters, recordings and other pieces of documentary evidence from Paz de la Huerta’s lawyer.
Police in Los Angeles and London are also investigating allegations against Weinstein.
