Harvey Weinstein to hear new sexual assault allegations against him today
New York: Fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, indicted over two sexual assault allegations, is to be informed of new allegations against him Monday that could delay his trial and complicate his defence.
New York prosecutors announced on Thursday that they had filed a new indictment against the 67-year-old former producer. The original accusations against him were a catalyst for America's #MeToo movement. The document is expected to be made public in a state court on Monday, two weeks before jury selection for his trial is scheduled to start on September 9.
According to US media, the new indictment will include testimony from actress Annabella Sciorra, known for her star turn in the hit television series "The Sopranos." Sciorra helped trigger the #MeToo movement in October 2017 when she told The New Yorker magazine that Weinstein raped her at her home in Manhattan in 1993.
Weinstein has always insisted his sexual relationships were consensual and is again expected to enter a not guilty plea on Monday.
But the "Pulp Fiction" producer only faces charges involving two women — one who alleges he raped her in 2013, the other who claims he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006. Sciorra reportedly approached prosecutors too late for her allegations to be included in the original indictment, The New York Times reported, citing a letter written by the prosecutor in charge of the case.
The judge denied a prosecution request that Sciorra be allowed to give evidence at Weinstein's trial because she had not testified before a grand jury as is procedure under US law.
Prosecutors hope the new indictment will allow her to testify. The number of accusers appearing in court can influence the verdict, as seen in the 2018 conviction of Bill Cosby.
Weinstein's lawyers have denounced the new indictment as a "desperate" last-minute move and are expected to ask for the indictment to be dismissed. Bennett Gershman, a law professor at Pace University and a former prosecutor, said the judge will likely reject their request.
They will at most be given "more time to prepare the trial," he told AFP, meaning a delay to the start of the trial. Weinstein's attorneys have also asked for the trial to be moved, arguing that intense coverage in New York's tabloids has meant he won't get a fair trial. A decision will also likely come Monday but the request is expected to be rejected.
