Patrick Kane Will Not Face Rape Charges

Chicago Blackhawks star winger Patrick Kane will not be formally charged by New York State prosecutors for the rape allegations that he was been accused of back in August. Last week, Kane’s accuser signed an affidavit stating that she wanted to forgo the prosecution as a result of emotional distress for her and her family.

This case has been an unusually extended one for the timeline it has brought. Last month, the accuser’s rape kit went through an apparent hoax involving the brown paper bag it was kept in. Kane’s lawyer called for an immediate close on the case and authorities agreed because of lack of evidence. The kit itself showed no traces of Kane’s DNA but other male profiles who may have been in contact with the accuser that night of the alleged crime. The Blackhawks have been under scrutiny but the NHL have found no wrongdoing in their cooperation with authorities throughout the legal process – even Blackhawks fans cheered for the star player during the first preseason game when he was on the ice, while other teams’ fans have mocked him for the investigation.

The alleged crime involving Kane happened on August 1 when he was out at the SkyBar club in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg where he stayed out late, eventually going home with a friend and two women. One of the women would then go on to tell police on Aug. 2 that Kane had sexually assaulted her in his home and went to a hospital immediately to get a rape kit procedure done.

Kane has been part of the dominating Blackhawks since being drafted by the team in 2007, winning three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Photo: CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 04: Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks skates during warm-ups wearing a purple jersey for the “Hockey Fights Cancer” awareness campaign before a game against the St. Louis Blues at the United Center on November 4, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)