A $25 MILLION deal that would allow Harvey Weinstein to avoid paying any of his own money or admitting any guilt in nearly every sexual misconduct suit brought against him has been heavily criticised.

The exact terms of the deal remain uncertain, but $6.2m would be split between 18 of his alleged victims and his insurance company would foot the bill.

Louisette Geiss, a plaintiff in a Manhattan federal court class-action lawsuit, said it showed that people who “protect predators” will be held to account.

Others called the deal symptomatic of a “broken system that privileges powerful abusers at the expense of survivors”.

Lawyer Thomas Giuffra said: “The most troubling aspect of this settlement is a punitive provision designed to force victims to settle. Shockingly, any funds that would have been allocated to claims from the settlement fund for non-settling claimants would be turned over to Harvey and Robert Weinstein to defend against their claims in court.

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“We understand that many victims have been so emotionally devastated and drained by this process that they cannot go on. But this proposed settlement does not allow for a truly voluntary choice.”

Lawyers Douglas H Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer said they reject the notion that it was the best possible settlement, especially because it penalises those who continue their lawsuits.

They also called it “shameful that $12m of the settlement is going to the lawyers for the directors who we alleged enabled Harvey Weinstein”.

Lawyer Elizabeth Fegan said: “Harvey Weinstein stripped the survivors of everything – dignity, dreams, careers, and money. There is no amount of money that could restore what he took from the survivors. But a settlement will finally give the survivors a safe and confidential place in which to share their stories and receive the justice that the courts have withheld.”

Weinstein faces a trial on January 6 on rape and sexual assault charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.