Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been released on $1 million bail after being charged in New York with rape and sexual abuse.
Weinstein, 66, also agreed to wear a GPS tracker and surrender his passport after turning himself in to police on Friday. Actress Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of rape, told the BBC it was an “amazing day for his survivors”.
“It’s a very significant moment, it’s a concrete slap in the face of abuse of power. It’s just the beginning of that process and if we can see this through to the end, I hope we emerge victorious,” the actress added.
The rape charge involves a woman who has not come forward in public. He’s accused of confining her in a Manhattan hotel room and raping her in 2013, according to a court complaint. The criminal sex act charge dates back to a 2004 encounter between Weinstein and Lucia Evans, a then-aspiring actress. But Weinstein denied non-consensual sex and his lawyer said he would plead not guilty.
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The allegations against the disgraced film producer triggered the #MeToo movement, which sought to demonstrate and draw attention to the widespread prevalence of sexual abuse and harassment. More than 70 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct although the charges relate to only two of them. Some allegations date back decades.
The prosecutor claimed before the court that Weinstein had used his position, money and power to lure young women into situations where he took advantage of them, sexually. A jury is currently considering whether there is enough evidence for Weinstein to go on trial. The decision will be out when Weinstein next appears in court on July 30.
Following the misconduct charges, Weinstein was thrown out of The Weinstein Company and from the Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts, before the 90th Academy Awards.
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