Two University of Minnesota wrestlers accused of sexual assault this past June will not be charged. A final decision was announced after a lengthy, detailed investigation into the allegations by the Hennepin Count Attorney’s Office.
“We will not be filing any criminal charges in this case,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said during a press conference. Freeman said the case included conflicting stories about what happened the night of June 15, and it did not meet the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Freeman declined to offer much information about the investigation as the county “strongly” believes in not “re-victimizing the victim.”
The investigation included the review of police reports, interviews with persons of interest, interviews with the victim, DNA and other forensics.
The two accused wrestlers, aged 19 and 21, were arrested in different locations on June 15 after a complaint that they had sexually penetrated a victim with an object, according to a police report.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said three days after the arrests that it had reviewed the allegations against the wrestlers and “have determined no charges can be brought at this time.”
The wrestlers were held in custody for 36 hours before being released, as the investigation continued.
Both student-athletes were suspended by the University of Minnesota after the allegations were made, and they could still face punishment from Gophers Athletics, with the university’s code of conduct carrying a lower burden of proof than the criminal justice system.
Numerous media outlets have named the two wrestlers, but BMTN will continue to avoid identifying them because formal charges have not been filed, unless the University of Minnesota chooses to identify them publicly.
