An appeal court in California has ruled that the two men who alleged they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson, the late pop icon, can revive lawsuits against his company.
Michael Jackson was the subject of various sexual allegations in the 1990s and many years after his death.
Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, claimed Jackson abused them while at his Neverland Ranch.
BBC reports that a court says the accusers can now pursue previously blocked suits against the singer’s companies.
In 2020, a Los Angeles judge ruled against Safechuck saying he could not sue Jackson’s businesses.
The same judge ruled against Robson on similar grounds the following year.
It has now emerged that the appeal court has proceeded to “reverse the judgements”.
“A corporation that facilities sexual abuse of children by one of its employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse,” the judgement reads.
“It would be perverse to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder. And so we reverse the judgements entered for the corporations.”
Vince Finaldi, Safechuck and Robson’s lawyer, said the court had overturned the previous incorrect rulings in these cases, which were against California law and would set a dangerous precedent that endangered children.
Jonathan Steinsapir, a lawyer for Jackson’s estate, said he was “fully confident” Jackson is innocent.
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