Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Prosecutor hardly met with Duke accuser

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published October 28, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. - The district attorney prosecuting three Duke lacrosse players accused of raping a woman at a team party said during a court hearing Friday that he and his assistants haven't interviewed the accuser about the facts of the case.

They have only spoken to the woman to monitor her well-being and have left the investigation of the case to police, Mike Nifong said.

"I've had conversations with (the accuser) about how she's doing. I've had conversations with (the accuser) about her seeing her kids," Nifong said. "I haven't talked with her about the facts of that night. ... We're not at that stage yet."

Nifong made the statement in response to a defense request for any statements the woman has made about the case. "I understand the answer may not be the answer they want, but it's the true answer. That's all I can give them," he said after the hearing.

Defense lawyers said outside court that they found Nifong's statement surprising.

"One of the most interesting things to me of course is Mr. Nifong did admit that he in fact has basically never talked to this woman and has absolutely no idea what her story is, and yet he has chosen to continue to go forward with this case," defense lawyer Joseph Cheshire said.

Nifong said he met with the accuser and an investigator on April 11, but didn't discuss details of the case because the woman was "too traumatized." He said she didn't make eye contact with him and seemed on the verge of crying. Their discussion centered on how the case would develop, he said.

[Last modified October 28, 2006, 01:40:09]