Harvey Weinstein
Two more actresses have joined the lawsuit accusing Weinstein of ‘assault, threats and false imprisonment’ in 1996 as well as the Cannes Film Festival the same year.
Caitlin Dulany, Melissa Thompson, and Larissa Gomes called for other victims of the producer to join the complaint.
Deceptive Tactics
Thompson claims she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein during a 2011 meeting to review new marketing ideas.
When Weinstein’s crimes became public in 2016, Thompson was referred to attorney Benjamin Brafman and Alex Spiro — another attorney with the firm.
Brafman is defending Weinstein following his indictment and Thompson was led to believe the pair were representing Weinstein’s victims.
“Deceptive tactics were used to entice her to turn over her evidence of Weinstein’s conduct,” a statement from Hagens Berman, the law firm representing her.
Thompson handed visual and audio evidence to Brafman and later learned Brafman was slated to be Weinstein’s lead defense lawyer.
The latest action is the third class action suit filed against Weinstein since the end of 2017.
Thompson said in a statement: “We deserve to live in a world where accountability for the abuse of power exists.”
Around 100 women have accused the 66-year-old Weinstein of sexual harassment, assault, and rape.
Ricardo Cruciani Charged With Sexual Assault
Dr. Ricardo Cruciani was in Manhattan Supreme Court on June 1, 2018, charged with sexually assaulting several female clients.
The former Mount Sinai Beth Israel physician is accused of raping and sexually assaulting multiple patients. Cruciani,63, pleaded not guilty.
Based in Philadelphia, the neurologist allegedly assaulted the women while he was working at the Union Square Hospital between 2002 and 2014. According to prosecutors, most of the crimes happened in 2013.
“There may be new charges, and we still maintain Dr. Cruciani did not commit any of the crimes he is accused of,” said his attorney, Frederick Sosinsky. “We look forward to clearing his name.”
Statutes Of Limitations On Sexual Abuse Offenses In New York
In New York state, the criminal statute of limitations which applies is that in place at the time of the crime itself. While it may have been lengthened in the time since, if the limitation ran out, it could not be reactivated.
For example:
A man molested a child in 1965 when there was a three-year statute of limitation for the crime. In 1970, the state legislature removed the statute from child molestation. The man cannot be prosecuted as the statute of limitations expired before the law was changed. If the law had been replaced in 1968, he could be indicted.
The Takeaway
If you are the victim, the first thing to do is decide if you will pursue the case criminally or civilly. The statute of limitation typically is different between each.
