Nov 3, 2015
Report: Kane accuser no longer wants to co-operate with investigation
The woman who accused Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane of sexual assault no longer wants to co-operate in the investigation, according to the Buffalo News, which cited five sources in a report Tuesday.
The woman who accused Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane of sexual assault no longer wants to co-operate in the investigation, according to the Buffalo News, which cited five sources in a report Tuesday.
According to the report, the alleged victim signed a document called an "affidavit declining prosecution" after a lengthy meeting with the Erie County (N.Y.) District Attorney's Office last week. The woman reportedly told authorities that the investigation has caused "tremendous stress for her and her family."
District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III still ultimately controls whether the case will go forward or not. Sedita is running unopposed in an election on Tuesday to become a State Supreme Court judge. He declined to comment on the report to the Buffalo News.
Tuesday's news follows a weekend report from the Buffalo News in which three sources said that it appears highly unlikely any criminal charges will be filed against Kane in connection with the case. That story said authorities have decided there are too many questions about the woman's allegations for them to proceed with charges.
Kane was accused of assaulting a woman in her 20s in August at his off-season home outside Buffalo. He has not been charged with a crime.
In a Sept. 25 news conference, Sedita said "the question in my mind is not when this case will go to a grand jury; it's if this case will go to a grand jury." That day, Sedita was clarifying a bizarre twist in the case - a "hoax" as Sedita called it - regarding a report of a misappropriated rape kit evidence bag. Little information had surfaced about the case since then.
Through the first month of the season, Kane sits alone in third among the NHL's scoring leaders with 16 points in 12 games. He has faced derisive chants - including "She Said No" and "No Means No" - during different stops on the road this season, including Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
Even if the case appears to be winding down, Kane told reporters in Chicago on Sunday that he will not comment until the investigation is officially concluded.
"Those are just reports and not really any facts or anything so far," Kane said. "You understand the law and I'm not the only case going on in that district. It's one of those situations where it seems like it's been a long time, but obviously I'll be looking forward to any time of conclusion, whatever it may be. For me to comment on anything sources say or any reports would be going against what we've been saying this whole time. I'll just continue to stick to that plan: not saying much about it, just waiting for a conclusion."
Frank Seravalli can be reached at frank.seravalli@bellmedia.ca.