Police Will Not Investigate Alleged Ben Roethlisberger Sexual Assault without Criminal Complaint … ESPN Finally Reports Assault

Nevada authorities and ESPN will not investigate alleged assault charges, both for much different reasons.

According to Nevada police, they do not intend on investigating the allegations of sexual assault by Pittsburgh Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger because there was no criminal complaint filed by the victim. An investigation into the alleged crime can only begin once there is a criminal complaint made. No one can fault Nevada authorities for not investigating a crime that they have no criminal complain for.

Teresa Duffy, a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy, told the AP that an investigation would be opened only if the woman accusing Roethlisberger files a criminal complaint or if another person witnessed the alleged incident.

The woman filed a lawsuit against Roethlisberger and eight other defendants Friday. The lawsuit said the woman did not contact police after the alleged incident because she believed that other hotel employees would support Roethlisberger.

However, ESPN is in a much different situation. Whether Pittsburgh QB Ben  Roethlisberger is guilty or not of the alleged sexual assault allegations, ESPN is guilty of negligent reporting and pandering to athletes.

ESPN’s refusal to cover such a big sports story is criminal in itself. What are they afraid of, upsetting Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steeler organization so that they do not get access in the future? The following was ESPN’s lame response. I wonder if they would have taken this tact against Packman Jones or Michael Vick if they were in the same boat? ESPN should be ashamed of squelching free speech on the topic.

Oh, but wait, ESPN has an excuse when it comes to Pacman. ESPN says that in the case of Adam (Pacman) Jones it reported on a suit because of his long rap sheet. So with this brilliant wisdom, only people with rap sheets can commit possible crimes.

The decision has generated a torrent of criticism, particularly because Roethlisberger has had close ties to the network, both as a story subject and a paid promoter.

But ESPN was sticking to its guns as of Wednesday, citing its policy generally to avoid reporting on civil suits against sports figures.

“At this point, we are not reporting the allegations against Ben Roethlisberger because no criminal complaint has been filed,” the network said.

“As far as we know, this is a civil lawsuit that Roethlisberger has yet to address publicly.”

ESPN is not a court of law, they are the court of public sports opinion and should be ashamed for not have reported the story let alone allowed to have their listeners talk about the topic. Is it ESPN’s policy to spike stories? Shameful. How difficult could it possibly be to have made a reference that their is an allegation and states, no criminal complaint had ever been filed?

UPDATE I: Hold the Presses … BREAKING NEWS FROM ESPN, some 36 hours later … ESPN finally acknowledges accusations against Ben Roethlisberger

ESPN recognized the rape allegations against Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger on Wednesday evening, more than 36 hours after the AP first reported the story.

ESPN had stayed silent on all its platforms as the story developed throughout Tuesday and early Wednesday. Andrea McNulty, 31, alleged in a civil suit that Roethlisberger raped her at a Nevada casino last year.

Football Star Is Accused, but ESPN Plays It Cautious

The only exception to its edict had been to let the ESPN Radio station in Pittsburgh update the case in news reports because of its local importance. But the station’s talk-show hosts have been prohibited from discussing it.