Rock musician and actor Marilyn Manson has been cleared of allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence after a four-year investigation, as reported by the office of Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Manson, who is 55 years old and whose real name is Brian Warner, previously faced similar accusations in civil court cases, all of which he has consistently denied.
In a statement, Hochman explained that the decision was based on two main factors. Firstly, the statute of limitations has lapsed for the domestic violence allegations. Secondly, authorities were unable to establish evidence of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.
Evan Rachel Wood and Marilyn Manson got engaged in 2010. (Scott Wintrow)
The DA’s office said it was acknowledging and commending Manson’s accusers regardless of the outcome. The attention on the case helped lead to an extension of the statute of limitations for domestic abuse locally and in other parts of the country.
Marilyn Manson performs at the 2019 Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park on Oct. 12, 2019 in Sacramento, Calif. (Miikka Skaffari/FilmMagic)
“Due to their efforts, victims of domestic violence have a greater voice in our criminal justice system and prosecutorial offices around the country have improved tools to hold domestic violence abusers accountable for their actions,” the DA’s office said.
