British star Michael Ward, who won BAFTA awards for his roles in “Top Boy” and “Eddington,” has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault in a London court.
The 28-year-old is accused of raping a woman in the back seat of his car after meeting her outside a New Year’s party in London in January 2023.
Ward had denied two charges of rape, two charges of sexual assault and one charge of sexual assault. On Friday, a jury unanimously found him not guilty on all charges.
Speaking outside court, Ward’s lawyer Humza Ilyas explained how the incident had had a “significant impact” on Ward, who won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2020, according to Sky News.
“Michael Ward is extremely grateful to the jury for taking the time to carefully examine the evidence in this case. As he has consistently maintained throughout this case, this was consensual sexual contact. The jury agreed and cleared him of all wrongdoing,” Ilyas said in a statement.
“It has been three and a half years since police began investigating this matter, and during that time Michael’s life and successful career have been put on hold. This has inevitably had a severe impact on him and those close to him. Michael is grateful that this process is complete. He looks forward to returning to the work he loves and focusing on his future.”
Ilyas added: “As Michael rebuilds his life, he wants to recognize those who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. They deserve to be heard, treated with compassion and their complaints taken seriously.”
