Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who has previously been accused of sexual assault, won’t face criminal charges after a 20-year-old college student in Milledgeville Georgia accused him of the same.
The woman says she was sexually assaulted inside a nightclub bathroom after a night of drinking when she and some friends encountered Roethlisberger.
Interviews and inconclusive medical exams left Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright unable to confirm that the student’s accusations could be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The young accuser also had decided she no longer wanted him to prosecute, he told reporters.
The DA investigated the case thoroughly he said, but ultimately could not move ahead because he was never able to find out what happened inside the Capital City club.
“Here the overall circumstances do not lead to a viable prosecution. If they did, I would be pursuing it vigorously,” Bright said. “We do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes.”
On March 5, an encounter happened in the small town, which is near Roethlisberger’s lake home.
A night of revelry and drinking eventually led to a time when the young woman was in hallway headed for a washroom and she claims the two-time Super Bowl champion assaulted her.
The allegations further sullied Roethlisberger’s reputation. Another woman sued him claiming rape in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino. He denied both allegations and was not charged.
Lawyer Ed Garland said he spoke with Roethlisberger Monday and that “he was glad that this matter is over and he’s looking forward to going back to football practice next week and having a successful season.”