Kevin Spacey trial begins

The American film and television star appeared in court as his trial began at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Thursday morning.

Spacey provided his name and address and the charges were read out to him in the brief formal first step in the trial, which continues at a later stage, the New York Times writes.

The case is now being referred to the Crown Court, which deals with criminal cases, but exactly how long the legal proceedings will continue is not entirely clear as the British judiciary is dragged along with long delays and long queues due to the pandemic. It is clear, however, that a preliminary trial will take place on July 14, according to the BBC.

sexual assault

The indictment, filed in late May, relates to four cases of sexual assault of three men that are said to have occurred between 2005 and 2013 in London and the county of Gloucestershire.

The 62-year-old actor was first accused at the end of October 2017, when the metoo movement broke out, by actor Anthony Rapp, who accused him of sexual harassment. According to Raab, these must have happened in 1986, when he was 14 years old. In connection with the revelation, Spacey appeared as gay.

In the fall of 2017, accusations continued to flow, in both the US and UK, with some cases also leading to trial. In total, about 30 men have filed charges against Spacey, and in September 2018, Scotland Yard conducted six investigations into the sexual assault of men in the UK. In May 2019, Scotland Yard conducted an interrogation in the USA where Kevin Spacey voluntarily participated.

Expelled

Accusations against the two-time Academy Award winner have led to him being fired from the hit Netflix series House of Cards, forfeiting an intended award at the 2017 Emmy Gala and being cut off by director Ridley Scott and replacing him in All the Money in the World with another actor.

Several charges have been dropped in the US and Kevin Spacey himself has denied the charges but has come out several times and apologized if his behavior was hurtful or hurtful.

Hear local founder James Savage talk about the trial and reactions in the UK in the clip.