British Prosecutors Drop Indecent Assault Charges Against Weinstein

British prosecutors have decided not to pursue indecent assault charges against former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein due to a lack of realistic prospect of conviction. Despite this, Weinstein remains in custody in New York, awaiting retrial on other charges. His 2020 Manhattan conviction was recently overturned.

British prosecutors have chosen not to move forward with criminal charges of indecent assault against former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced on Thursday that it decided to discontinue the proceedings, citing 'no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.' A CPS statement confirmed the decision has been explained to all involved parties, adding, '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.'

Previously, the CPS had authorized police to press charges against Weinstein for an alleged indecent assault incident in London in 1996.

In the meantime, Weinstein remains in custody in New York, where he awaits retrial on rape and sexual assault charges in Manhattan. According to prosecutors, Weinstein also faces a 16-year sentence in California for a separate rape conviction in Los Angeles. Although he has denied all allegations, Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 while already serving a 23-year sentence in New York.

Earlier this year, his 2020 Manhattan conviction was overturned by the state's top court, which ruled that the judge had unfairly allowed testimony based on unrelated allegations.

(With inputs from agencies.)