London – The highly anticipated trial of Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey commenced on Wednesday in London. Spacey is facing charges of sexual assault, indecent assault, and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Notably, Spacey has pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges filed against him by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Upon arriving at London’s Southwark Crown Court, the 63-year-old actor smiled and waved at the gathered media. As the proceedings began, the judge set ground rules for the jury due to the extensive media coverage surrounding the case, emphasizing the importance of relying solely on the evidence presented in the courtroom.
The trial is expected to last four weeks, with Wednesday’s hearing primarily serving as an introduction. The prosecution is scheduled to address the court on Friday.
Spacey vehemently denies the allegations made by four men, who are now in their 30s and 40s, of acts they claim he committed between 2001 and 2013. Some of the charges stem from the time when the actor served as the artistic director at London’s Old Vic Theatre for over a decade.
Under English law, the identity of the alleged victims cannot be disclosed. However, the Old Vic Theatre conducted an internal investigation in 2017, which revealed 20 anonymous claims of inappropriate behavior by Spacey during his tenure as artistic director. The theater acknowledged that his fame and status may have discouraged junior staff and young actors from speaking up or seeking help.
In 2017, Spacey’s career took a hit when actor Anthony Rapp accused him publicly of sexual misconduct, alleging that Spacey had targeted him when he was just 14 years old. However, last year, a New York court dismissed a $40 million civil suit brought against Spacey by Rapp, with a judge ruling that the case was filed too late for criminal charges.
In another case in Massachusetts in 2019, charges of indecent assault and battery were dropped against Spacey after the accuser declined to testify.
In an recent interview with German magazine Zeit, Spacey expressed confidence in his eventual acquittal and expressed a desire to revive his career, stating that his work will be remembered. He claimed that there are people ready to hire him once he is cleared of the charges in London.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
