its fate in the hands of 12 jurors – Corriere.it

LONDON – He defended himself saying, through tears, a flirtatious manbut not for this bad and defining the allegations of harassment and sexual violence against him pure madness: at the end of a nearly month-long trial, the fate of actor Kevin Spacey now in the hands of twelve jurors. It will be up to them – ordinary Londoners summoned to carry out their civic duty – to decide who is right in a case that has brought a parade of stars and international media attention to Southwark Crown Court in London.

Two-time Oscar winner – for American Beauty and The Usual Suspects – former director of the Old Vic theater, also very famous thanks to the Netflix drama House of Cards, Spacey fought by all means: confirmation of the importance of the London verdict, he made use of the video testimony of Elton John and her husband David Furnish as well as that of Chris Lemmon, Jack’s son, who portrayed him as a reliable friend and always full of respect towards others, a humble and helpful person despite his undeniable status as a Hollywood star.

The jurors’ decision will have a huge impact about the personal and professional life of the actor (and his accusers). Full acquittal would allow him to restart a career abruptly interrupted by the first accusations in 2017, at the time of the beginnings of #MeToo. A guilty verdict, on the other hand, would definitively remove the possibility of rehabilitation, confirming him as a molester of young men and less powerful than him.

Four accusers – their identity protected by law, but the group is known to include a former Spacey driver and an aspiring actor – and twelve counts, dating from 2001 to 2013. Spacey was described in the courtroom as a slimy, disgusting and despicable serial predator. During the hearings, the details of the alleged harassment emerged: from what has been defined as Spacey’s signature move, or the ability to grab the groin of his victims in an unexpected and violent way, to an oral sex session with a man who claims to have been drugged once he arrived at the actor’s apartment.

Spacey’s actions and movements they have been compared to that of a cobra believed to be untouchable. One of the victims explained that he metaphorically put the violence suffered in a box and put it away, thinking that she would never be able to accuse a star like Spacey. For his part, the actor admitted that he shared moments of intimacy with some of his accusers but stressed that he had only had consensual relations. He also admitted to misinterpreting cues from one of the four men and trying to awkwardly push past the flirt before realizing he misunderstood.

He said he used drugs and was promiscuous, adding that none of this makes him a monster. The accusations in the United States – which led to his innocence – and now in Great Britain, he specified, have taken away everything from him, starting with his job and reputation. Summarizing the case at the end of the hearings, the prosecution lawyer, Christina Agnew, specified however that history is full of people who know how to be kind to some and cruel to others, adding that as often happens this is a case that is based on enormous imbalances of power.