Slowthai has pleaded not guilty to two charges of raping a woman in 2021. The rapper, born Tyron Kaymone Frampton, entered the plea today (June 15) at a Crown court in Oxford, the English city where the two crimes—oral and vaginal rape—allegedly took place. Slowthai appeared in court alongside another man, Alex Blake-Walker, of Wallbutton Road in London, who pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexually assaulting the same woman, and charges of raping and sexually assaulting a second complainant, BBC News reports. The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 1, 2024.
Slowthai and Blake-Walker were both granted bail, on the condition that they keep their solicitors informed of where they are living.
Slowthai appeared in court for the first time on May 16, the first time the charges were publicized. Major UK festivals, including Glastonbury, had scrubbed his names from posters by the following morning, and many of his remaining shows have since been canned or postponed. On social media, Slowthai denied the charges.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated that Slowthai’s tour dates had been canceled or postponed. Some dates are set to go ahead as planned. Additionally, co-defendant Alex Blake-Walker was charged with one count of rape and two of sexual assault, not two counts of rape and one of sexual assault, as previously reported.
https://pitchfork.com/news/slowthai-pleads-not-guilty-to-2-rape-charges
