Harvey Weinstein to surrender to police after being charged in New York

With news breaking in the night, it’s been announced that Weinstein will surrender to the New York Police Department on charges that he raped one woman and forced another to perform oral sex on him. Following the avalanche of accusations of sexual misconduct against the producer, Hollywood and beyond have called Time’s Up on predatory behaviour. Triggering the powerful #MeToo movement too, the scandal turned into a mass-call out to the widespread prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse.

The New York Times has reported that today’s charges relate to an allegation brought by actress Lucia Evans, who detailed her accusations against Weinstein in a New Yorker article last October. Having seemed untouchable until last year, the 66-year-old is finally being brought down. As Rose McGowan – actress, activist and one of the leaders of the anti-Weinstein movement online as a victim of his abuse – explained, many women had given up hope over the years that he would ever be held accountable. “Twenty years ago, I swore that I would right this wrong. Today we are one step closer to justice”. And Asia Argento perfectly summed it up in one tweet:

Whilst it is unclear if Weinstein will face more charges brought by the numerous other accusers, the New York police have recently been investigating many other allegations from Paz de la Huerta and Alexandra Canosa. Prosecutors in LA are also reviewing several cases, and London’s Metropolitan police are assessing a sexual abuse allegation here. Here’s to more where this came from.