BYU QB Jake Retzlaff (Image: BYU)
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was accused of raping a woman from Utah. During the alleged incident in November 2023, the woman was strangled and bitten by the quarterback.
A lawsuit filed in Utah state court on Wednesday alleges that the police were uncooperative. The woman alleges the Provo police encouraged the victim not to do anything, as they claimed, “sexual assault victims never get justice.”
The Provo police disputed the statement in a press release.
The woman in the lawsuit is identified as Jane Doe A.G.
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“A year and a half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to experience post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on,” the lawsuit states.
In the lawsuit, it is detailed that the woman and the BYU quarterback connected through social media in October 2023 and sent messages back and forth before Retzlaff invited the woman to his home.
The woman arrived with a friend, who eventually left, and the two of them began watching a movie before the alleged incident occurred. They started to kiss, and then the rising quarterback escalated the situation.
The woman pleaded “no” and “wait, stop” with Retzlaff and in an attempt to leave, Retzlaff allegedly put his hands around the woman’s neck and ended up raping her.
Retzlaff’s attorney, Mark Baute, claimed his client is “factually incorrect” in a statement.
“We look forward to proving that innocence,” Baute said. “Jake’s focus this year will be on football. We don’t try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system.”
Upon connecting with the Provo police, the woman did not share Retzlaff’s name until later when officials asked for the name due to someone else filing a complaint against a football player, according to the lawsuit. This led to Jane Doe A.G. sharing the quarterback’s name, which led to the police encouraging her not to do anything, the lawsuit alleges.
“From everything we have reviewed, this is not true,” the Provo Police Department statement said. “We have a team of dedicated investigators and victim advocates whose sole mission is to provide justice to victims of sexual abuse. They do not send people away, warning them there is no justice for victims.”
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