Earlier this week, American actor Kevin Spacey first appeared for trial in London’s Southwark Crown Court over multiple allegations of sexual assault.

The former artistic director of the Old Vic theatre is accused of sexually assaulting four men in England between 2001 and 2013. He has already pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Anna Bradshaw spoke to The New York Times about the development, explaining how the trial will work and how the proceedings will differ from US trials. For example, the trial will not be shown on television and the accusers’ identity will also not be publicly identified – this is to protect accusers’ privacy and encourage victims to report incidents to the police.

Anna also explained that in case of a guilty verdict, the judge would normally announce the sentence at a separate hearing at a later date.

Please note that the article requires registration.