In recent years, the public understanding of sexual abuse accusations and the treatment of the victims of that abuse has changed significantly. One story which helped shed light on this issue and helped educate the populace on this systemic issue was the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Weinstein was one of the most influential producers in Hollywood for years and was still incredibly powerful at the time of the investigation into the accusations against him. Despite his efforts to silence accusers, Weinstein was reportedly found guilty of two felony sex crimes in the state of New York in February 2020 and is currently in jail.

However, that isn’t the end of the story for Weinstein. According to USA Today, on May 28, a new lawsuit was filed against the movie mogul with new accusations from four women, one of whom claims Weinstein raped her when she was just 17.

History of the Harvey Weinstein Scandal

For many, the Harvey Weinstein scandal represents a change in how accusations are treated. Weinstein is one of the most powerful figures who faced accusations as a part of the #MeToo movement, and his conviction showed that powerful figures could be made to face justice.

According to the BBC, the first reporting on Weinstein’s accusations came in October 2017. At that time, the New York Times (NYT) published a description of accusations from a number of women including several actresses like Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd. Weinstein contested the accusations but was still fired from his company within days of the article’s publication. Soon, accusations against the man were piling up in New York and Los Angeles.

The accusations against Weinstein ranged from making lewd and suggestive comments to rape. He was indicted in May 2018 by a New York grand jury for two alleged attacks of unnamed women. He plead not guilty to each of the accusations he was facing, but a jury found Weinstein guilty of a criminal act in the first degree and third-degree rape in Feb. 2020.

At the time the verdict was read, the NYT reports that Weinstein seemed calm but repeated to his lawyers three times: “But I’m innocent.”

Weinstein was acquitted of two of the worst charges against him, but he was still sentenced to 23 years in jail in March of this year. He still faces a slew of accusations in Los Angeles and across the world, according to the BBC.

New Accusations

Four new accusations in the Harvey Weinstein scandal were filed on May 29, 2020. The suit covers allegations of sexual offenses from 1984 to 2013. One of the women making accusations was just 17-years-old when she says Weinstein forced her to undress and perform oral sex before allegedly raping her in 1994.

The woman says she believed the meeting was meant to help her break into the entertainment industry but found Weinstein nearly naked when she entered the room. She alleges that Weinstein threatened her and made her give him her driver’s license after raping her. According to the suit, Weinstein told the plaintiff she would never act in films and that her family would be in danger if she notified anyone of the abuse.

According to USA Today, Weinstein’s lawyers argue that some of the allegations in the suit should be blocked due to the statute of limitations, but the woman claiming she was abused at 17 will be suing under New York’s Child Victims Act. This Act established a “look back” window for victims of childhood sexual assault who were unable to file before the statute of limitations ran out on their claim.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.