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Harvey Weinstein won't be retried on deadlocked charges, L.A. prosecutors say

  • 15. Mar 2023. 7:41
  • By The EU Times
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Los Angeles prosecutors announced on Tuesday that disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein will not face a retrial on charges of rape and sexual assault stemming from two incidents in 2013.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement that there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed with a retrial after Weinstein's first trial ended in a deadlock in February.

“After thoroughly reviewing the evidence, following up on investigation that was conducted prior to the trial, and evaluating the circumstances of the hung jury, prosecutors have determined that there is insufficient evidence to proceed on the three counts originally filed against Mr. Weinstein,” the statement said.

The decision brings to a close the prosecution of Weinstein, who was convicted in February of two counts of rape and sexual assault stemming from separate incidents in 2013 involving two different women.

Weinstein had been facing up to life in prison on the charges but was sentenced to 23 years in prison in March. He is currently serving his sentence at an upstate New York prison.

The decision not to retry Weinstein on the deadlocked counts was met with mixed reactions from the victims' advocates.

“We understand the decision not to retry Harvey Weinstein on the charges of rape and sexual assault,” said Marissa Hoechstetter, executive director of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. “We are grateful to the survivors for their courage in coming forward and for the prosecutors for their dedication to seek justice in this case.”

At the same time, Hoechstetter said, the decision not to retry Weinstein “sends a message to survivors everywhere that their voices matter and that they can come forward and be heard.”

The decision not to retry Weinstein marks the end of a long and painful ordeal for his two victims, who had bravely come forward to testify against him. Despite not receiving the justice they had sought, the two women have set a powerful example for other survivors of sexual assault and abuse.