The trial of actor Kevin Spacey begins for alleged sexual crimes

First modification: 06/29/2023 – 00:49

Kevin Spacey appeared this Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at the Southwark court, in the center of the British capital.

The 12 charges Spacey faces were read before the courtroom. They include charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. The actor claims his innocence in each of them.

This Wednesday, the judge in charge of the case, Mark Wall, determined that the presentation of the arguments will not begin before Friday and that it should last approximately a month.

Kevin Spacey, a famous 63-year-old actor is known for his roles in films such as ‘American Beauty’ and has won two Oscars for ‘best actor’ throughout his career. He was also the lead in the television series ‘House Of Cards’.

However, in the midst of the #MeToo movement in 2017, various accusations of sexual assault by Spacey were widely shared and the actor was fired from many projects, especially “House of Cards”, in which he did not participate in the last one. season. Since then, Kevin Spacey has disappeared from the screens.

“At the moment, many people are afraid of being ostracized if they support me (…) But I know that there are others who are willing to hire me as soon as I am cleared of charges in London,” said the actor in mid-June.

12 charges against

In May 2022, the actor was accused by the courts of five assaults allegedly committed between 2005 and 2013 in the United Kingdom when he was director of the Old Vic theater in London, and in which 3 men had been affected. Last November, the Prosecutor’s Office added another seven charges that included sexual assaults against a man between 2001 and 2004.

Other charges include forcing a person to engage in non-consensual penetrative sex and intentionally touching another person in a sexual way without their consent.

None of his alleged victims can be identified due to English law.

During the hearing, Judge Wall called on the jury to remain as objective as possible, explaining that the defendant’s fame should not “influence” their assessments.

“Many of you know his name or have seen his movies. That doesn’t disqualify you from sitting on this jury,” Wall said.

Spacey is expected to continue to plead not guilty. In a preliminary session last June, the actor’s attorney, Patrick Gibbs, had said that his client “categorically denies any and all criminality in this case.”

Kevin Spacey has also been charged several times in the United States, but has never been convicted.

With EFE, AFP and AP