Kevin Spacey found not guilty of all sexual offences
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London has cleared Kevin Spacey after the actor faced 12 charges of sexual offences against four men.
The charges were based on allegations made by the men from 2001 to 2013. On July 10th, the jury were played a pre-recorded police interview with the final of the four claimants. Since the prosecution finished giving evidence against the actor, Spacey began his defence on July 13th.
Charges against Spacey included sexual assault, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
On July 25th, the jury took time to deliberate on a decision before returning to court a day later to clear Spacey of all the charges.
“There was a rush to judgment and before the first question was asked or answered I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost everything in a matter of days,” Spacey told the jurors during the case.
He also previously said during the trial, that he had a “somewhat intimate” relationship with one of the alleged victims, but claimed he never assaulted him. While giving evidence, Spacey stated they became more “flirtatious” over time, and admitted to touching him in “romantic” and “intimate” manners during this period.
Spacey also told the jury about his reaction to the complainant coming forward and stated it “crushed” him. He claimed: “I was crushed. I never thought the (name of man) I knew over 20 years later would stab me in the back.”
Speaking outside of Southwark Crown Court, Spacey told the press: “I am enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached the decision.”
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