Harvey Weinstein: Queen recognizes him medal

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Harvey Weinstein (archive image from February 2020): No longer a Commander

Photo: John Minchillo / AP

Queen Elizabeth II has stripped of an honorary title from the convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein.

That emerges from a law gazette published in London on Friday.

16 years ago, the Queen made Weinstein "Commander of the British Empire", thereby recognizing his contribution to the British film industry.

Weinstein had made several successful films based on British literature or the history of the United Kingdom.

Including "The English Patient", "Shakespeare in Love" or "Enigma".

As "CBE" Weinstein climbed the third of five levels of the knightly order.

It was donated by King George V in 1917 to honor people who had made significant contributions during the First World War.

Nowadays it is mainly given to the British and foreigners who have made a contribution to the kingdom.

Removed from the list

Now the law gazette "The London Gazette" says that the Queen ordered the withdrawal of the order.

Weinstein's name should also be removed from the list.

When the first allegations against Weinstein came up in 2017, Labor MP Chi Onwurah called for this step, as the Guardian reported.

Even if the reasons for the decision are not listed in the legal gazette, they are obvious: More than a hundred women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault.

The ex-producer was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by a jury in New York in late February and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in March.

He is currently serving this sentence in a New York state prison.

The legal processing of the case is not yet over: In May, a lawsuit by four women accusing him of sexual violence became known.

In January, Los Angeles prosecutors brought two rape and sexual assault charges against Weinstein.

For a possible trial in Los Angeles, the authorities have taken steps to extradite Weinstein to California.

Allegations against the Queen's son

But the royal family is not free from scandals surrounding alleged sexual assault: The Queen's second oldest son, Prince Andrew, has been criticized for months because of his friendship with the now deceased multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

The US businessman Epstein with a criminal record is said to have abused dozens of underage girls over the years and forced them into prostitution.

He committed suicide in a New York prison cell last summer.

One of the victims accuses Prince Andrew of having abused her several times.

Andrew denies this. He has since retired from his official duties.

US investigators accused him of not cooperating - Prince Andrew has rejected it.

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jpz / dpa / AP