USA: Weinstein victims to share $ 19 million

Several women victims of sexual assault on the part of Harvey Weinstein, convicted in February of rape in particular, will share nearly 19 million dollars in a group action, the prosecutor said on Tuesday. New York State. These compensations, which have yet to receive the approval of two courts, stem from lawsuits launched against the former Hollywood producer of 68 years and against the studio The Weinstein Company.

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“ Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Company failed their employees. After all the harassment, threats, discrimination, and gender-based discrimination, some justice is being done for these survivors, "said prosecutor Letitia James in a statement, without specifying the number of people this agreement should include. .

The complaint stated that the former producer " demanded or forced female employees to have unwanted sexual contact as consideration for keeping their jobs or advancing in their careers ". But a lawyer for several of the complainants immediately criticized the proposed agreement, saying it was " total betrayal ".

According to Douglas Wigdor, Harvey Weinstein " accepts no responsibility for his actions " in this transaction and he will not have to pay any money out of his pocket. This lawyer represents in particular Tarale Wulff, a former waitress who testified at the trial of Weinstein that the former producer raped her in her apartment in 2005. He noted that this agreement was going to prevent people not wishing to subscribe to it from looking other ways to obtain compensation. He intends to oppose it in court.

The former film producer, convicted in February of rape and sexual assault, was sentenced on March 11 to 23 years in prison after a high-profile trial in New York. Nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have to date publicly accused Harvey Weinstein of harassment, sexual assault or rape. Most of the alleged facts are time-barred. He was charged in April with a third sexual assault case in a case being put up by Los Angeles prosecutors.