Did Michael Jackson sexually molest children? Lawsuit filed against the singer reopens
Two men named Wade Robson and James Safechuck allege that the singer abused them as children. The California Court of Appeal has allowed the duo to have their trial against Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck will get the chance to say their side in court. Three appellate court judges (Justice Elizabeth Grimes, John Wiley and Victor Viramontes) are in favour of the duo accused and against Michael’s company MJJ Productions and MJJ ventures which are owned by him.
The litigant, Wade and James are accusing Michael of sexually abusing them from the ages of 7 and 10 respectively. Wade added that he was abused by Michael for seven years and James alleges that he was abused for four years.
The duo accused also mentions how Michael’s employees implemented policies that permit him to be alone with children. Mr. Robson and Mr. Safechuck claim that they were abused by Jackson in the late 1980s and early 1990s while staying at his Neverland ranch.
Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney of the Estate of Michael Jackson made an utterance regarding the court’s decision, “We are disappointed with the court’s decision. Two distinguished trial judges repeatedly dismissed these cases on numerous occasions over the last decades because the law required it”.
“We remain fully confident that Michael is innocent of these allegations, which are contrary to all credible evidence and independent corroboration, and which were only first made years after Michael’s death. We trust that the truth will ultimately prevail with Michael’s vindication yet again. Michael Jackson himself said, “lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons,” he added.
Earlier it was in 2013, when the duo accused Wade James had filed a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate but they had been disbanded by the court as it wasn’t within the limitation. Until 2020 California law required suits to be filed before they turned 26, prohibiting both the victims since they were 30 and 36 at that time. Also, their re-appeal in 2021 was refused when a judge ruled that the companies had no moral implications to protect the boys from sexual abuse.
To receive compensation the duo accused must establish 2 things: first, that Jackson sexually attacked them; and second, that the businesses where Jackson had employees were complicit in the alleged abuse.
This is the second time the California appeals court has instituted their lawsuit and Wade and James seem resolute to defend and succeed this time, with the help of their attorney, Vine Finaldi.
An appeals court in California disagreed, ruling that “a corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of the ts employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse”.
“It would be preserved to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder,” the court judgement said. And so we reverse the judgement entered for the corporations”.
Vince Finaldi, a lawyer for Safechuck and Robson, said that the court had overturned previous ” incorrect rulings in these cases, which were against California law and would have set a dangerous precedent that endangered children “.
Jonathan Steinsapir, a lawyer for Jackson’s estate, said he was ” fully confident ” Jackson was innocent, saying the allegations were ” contrary to all credible evidence and independent corroboration.
Please, also have a look : Illegal to make children below three attend pre-school, says Gujarat High Court
