Two members of the MSU men’s basketball team are believed to be connected to a first-degree criminal sexual conduct case that allegedly occurred last month in Wonders Hall, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said Wednesday.
Despite a recommendation from the MSU police to press charges, Dunnings said he did not pursue charges in the case — which reportedly occurred between Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 — because of a lack of evidence. Two other assistant prosecutors also reviewed the case, he said.
The Michigan Messenger, a news blog, reported Wednesday on its website that two MSU basketball players were involved in the incident. The Messenger said on its website it obtained police reports and interviewed the victim. According to the Messenger report, MSU police records allegedly indicate the players were questioned by campus police. One of the players allegedly involved confirmed the alleged victim’s account that the incident was not consensual, the Messenger report said.
Dunnings told The State News that Debra Rousseau Bouck, the county’s criminal sexual conduct prosecutor, spoke with the victim. After speaking with the victim, Dunnings said Bouck asked police to interview the suitemates of the alleged assailants. After reviewing the interviews, as well as the reports, Dunnings said Bouck told him the victim understood the prosecutor’s office would not press charges. Bouck then called the victim to tell her, Dunnings said.
“She understood (charges) weren’t being pressed,” Dunnings said. “She was fine with that decision.”
Bouck told the victim she could call or go to the prosecutor’s office if she wished to have the decision to not press charges reviewed, Dunnings said. As of Wednesday, she had done neither, Dunnings said.
In the Messenger report, the victim is quoted as saying she did not recall being asked whether she wanted to prosecute.
When contacted by The State News on Wednesday, MSU Associate Athletics Director John Lewandowski directed all questions to University Relations.
Kent Cassella, director of media communications for the university, said MSU takes allegations of sexual assault seriously.
“The MSU Police Department conducts a thorough investigation whenever it receives a report of sexual assault,” Cassella said. “MSU has policies in place to promote and facilitate reporting of any crime on campus and provides victims with caring support.”
The university declined to comment on whether the suspects were basketball players. The State News has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the police report with the Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and the MSU police.
A charge of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree is the most severe and a felony charge in Michigan.
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