The woman who accused Patrick Kane of rape in August has “notified the Erie County District Attorney’s Office that she no longer wants to cooperate in the investigation,” according to Dan Herbeck and Lou Michel of The Buffalo News. The development comes after the News reported last week that Kane was not expected to face criminal charges in the case.
The alleged victim reportedly spoke to the DA’s office last week and signed an “affidavit declining prosecution” that is currently under consideration by district attorney Frank A. Sedita III. The woman told authorities that “the high-profile investigation has caused tremendous stress for her and her family, and that she no longer wishes to participate.”
The DA’s office will ultimately decide whether the case moves forward, but a lack of cooperation from the accuser would make it difficult. At this point, the case may never even be heard by a grand jury after one was originally scheduled in September before getting postponed.
The woman accused Kane in early August of raping her at his offseason home in Hamburg, N.Y. Police have been gathering evidence since then. In September, the DA’s office denied claims of evidence tampering after a hoax involving an evidence bag that led to the accuser’s lawyer withdrawing from the case.
Kane and his lawyer, Paul J. Cambria, have claimed his innocence from the beginning. The Blackhawks winger declined to comments on the reports he would not be charged and has continued to suit up for the team’s games.
It’s unclear how this development might impact the possibility of a civil complaint against Kane. The burden of proof in civil cases is lower than criminal ones and the accuser could still pursue a civil complaint even if she stops cooperating with the criminal investigation.
For more info, read the full report at The Buffalo News.