Michael Jackson abuse lawsuits revived by California appeals court

19 August 2023 , 21:15

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The cases against Michael Jackson were discussed at a California appeals court (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

More than a decade after his death, a sexual abuse case against Michael Jackson has been revived by a three-judge panel at an appeals court.

The panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found that the lawsuits of Wade Robson and James Safechuck should not have been dismissed by a lower court years ago and has said they can both validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them.

Thanks to a new California law which temporarily broadened the scope of sexual abuse cases, the pair have been able to have their cases restored. Robson initially brought the case in 2013 while Safechuck's was the following year. It's the second time the cases have been brought back.

Two cases against Michael Jackson are to be brought back to court (Getty Images)

In 2019 the two men became more widely known after they told their stories on the HBO documentary titled Leaving Neverland. The suits were first dismissed in 2017, where Superior Court Judge Mark A. Young ruled they were filed passed the statute of limitations.

The lawsuits faced another road bump as in 2021, Young threw the cases out, saying the two corporations the men were suing had no legal reason to protect Robson and Safechuck.

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Jonathan Steinsapir, the attorney for the Jackson estate, said they were "disappointed" at the news. "Two distinguished trial judges repeatedly dismissed these cases on numerous occasions over the last decade because the law required it," Steinsapir told The Associated Press. "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 by men motivated solely by money."

This isn't the first time Jackson has been accused. The first accusations of abuse came out in 1993, which was settled out of court. In 2005, Jackson went on trial for sexual abuse of another boy but was acquitted of all charges. The FBI released files in 2009 stating that they found no evidence of criminal conduct by Jackson.

Jamie Roberts