SEATTLE — In the midst of a two-game losing streak, the University of Washington men’s basketball team received some good news Friday when it learned the King County prosecutor’s office will not pursue felony charges against one of its players.
An unidentified player was accused by a 16
-year-old girl of rape early last month.
The case was investigated by Seattle police, who turned their findings over to the prosecutor’s office for evaluation. The UW athletic department announced Friday that the prosecutor determined felony charges would not be filed.
The case is now in the hands of the Seattle City Attorney, who is evaluating whether to file misdemeanor charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor.
In a statement released Friday, the prosecutor’s office said there was “insufficient evidence to support criminal charges” and that three witnesses described “consensual sexual contact.”
According to the prosecutor’s statement: “The young woman involved is 16-years-old and, under Washington State law, is legally capable of consenting to have sexual contact. A charge of Rape in the Third Degree requires proof that a victim clearly expresses a lack of consent by words or conduct. Evidence does not exist in this case to support a charge of Rape in the Third Degree. Therefore, no criminal charges will be filed.”
According to the police report, a male athlete at UW met the 16-year-old girl on Facebook and agreed to meet with her on a Saturday night in early January. She went to the police the following morning reporting she had been raped.
A few days later, UW basketball coach Lorenzo Romar announced that one of his student-athletes was under police investigation.
The Huskies lost their next game, at Stanford, and have gone 3-3 since the allegations surfaced.
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