District Attorney Fred Bright announced at a press conference shortly after 2:00 p.m. that no charges will be brought against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Mr. Bright said the case is closed and that the accuser and her family sent a letter to investigators on March 17, that they did not want to press charges but their decision didn’t have an impact on prosecutors electing not to press charges.
The accuser told investigators that it had been an “unnerving experience.”
However, Bright says “significant questions” still persist about what happened between Roethlisberger and the victim inside a bathroom at the club. Mr. Bright indicated that sexual assault accusations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and there wasn’t probable cause for an arrest.
Bright came off as a prosecutor who thought something happened that shouldn’t have happened but there just wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute in court as he mentioned on more than a few occasions that “too much” alcohol was involved for both parties.
Bright said he did not condone Roethlisberger’s actions but said “we do not prosecute morals….we prosecute crimes.” Mr. Bright said that if he was advising Roethlisberger he would tell him to be a role model and that it’s time to “grow up.”
The investigation revealed that the accuser was heavily intoxicated when she met Roethlisberger.
A hospital report revealed that the alleged victim had a laceration, bruising and bleeding in her gentile area but doctors could not say for sure whether a rape happened.
Mr. Bright indicated that the victim did not suffer a head injury according to evaluations by doctors, which didn’t backup Ben Roethlisberger’s brief statement who told police that he saw the victim fall and hit her head.
Prosecutors said it would have been helpful to speak to Roethlisberger on his version of what happened in that bathroom.
Roethlisberger is unscathed by the law but the Steelers or the NFL could still come down on Roethlisberger. The NFL conducted their own investigation and what they revealed could play a factor in a possible suspension for Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger will meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this week.