Claims extracted
24
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
12%
3 of 24 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
95
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Russell Brand, the firebrand YouTuber, comedian and actor, appeared in a London court Monday for the start of a weeks-long trial on charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault.
asserted
Brand → appear → rape
Brand, 51, faces seven charges related to incidents that the prosecution says involved six women.
asserted
prosecution → face → women
Prosecutors say the events occurred from 1999 to 2009, a period when Brand became a star in Britain as a stand-up comedian and television and radio presenter.
asserted
Brand → say → comedian
In two previous hearings, he pleaded not guilty to all the charges and last year said in a video posted to his social media channels that he had “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
asserted
he → plead → activity
After entering the courtroom on Monday, Brand briefly knelt down as if in prayer and then took his seat in a glass box at the back of the room.
asserted
Brand → enter → room
Here’s what to know as the trial gets under way.
asserted
trial → ’ → way
Prosecutors accuse Brand of raping a woman in a hotel room during a 1999 British political party conference, orally raping another woman in 2004 and raping a third woman in 2009.
asserted
Prosecutors → accuse → 2009
Brand is also charged with sexual assault and indecent assault over incidents that prosecutors say took place in Britain.
asserted
prosecutors → charge → Britain
Full details of those accusations are expected to emerge during the trial.
asserted
details → expect → trial
What has Brand said in his defence?
asserted
Brand → say → defence
Brand has repeatedly denied ever having non-consensual sex, and has already pleaded not guilty to the charges.
asserted
Brand → deny → charges
On Sunday, Brand published a video to his YouTube channel, where he has more than 6.6 million subscribers, in which he discussed sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
asserted
he → publish → Epstein
At one point, Brand said that he himself was on trial for “sexual allegations that I deny in the strongest possible terms”.
asserted
I → say → terms
He did not say whether he would continue to publish videos to his channel during the trial.
asserted
he → say → trial
How will the trial proceed?
asserted
trial → proceed → ?
On Monday, the trial began with Judge Joel Bennathan asking potential jurors if they had any reason they could not sit for its likely duration.
uncertain
they → begin → duration
He said he would swear in a 14-person jury Tuesday.
asserted
he → say → jury
Later in the week, prosecutors are expected to set out their opening arguments and call their first witnesses.
asserted
prosecutors → expect → witnesses
The trial is scheduled to last up to 10 weeks, so the jury might not give any verdict until December.
uncertain
jury → schedule → December
How does British law affect reporting of the trial?
asserted
law → affect → trial
In Britain, anyone who makes sexual assault accusations has the right to lifelong anonymity, which means the news media is not allowed to report any details that might identify the accusers.
uncertain
that → make → accusers
Under strict British laws aimed at preventing jury bias, reporters are restricted to reporting only what happens in the courtroom while a trial is underway.
asserted
trial → aim → courtroom
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
asserted
article → appear → Times
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
asserted
what → get → world
The Aporia
