The news of an alleged gang rape of a minor is always disturbing, and the subsequent investigations can be lengthy and complicated. In this case, however, new evidence suggests that former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza was not involved in the incident.
According to witness testimony included in evidence, Araiza was not present at the off-campus party where the alleged rape occurred. The evidence also showed that he was not visible in videos recovered after the incident, which led to a police investigation and a lawsuit by the woman who said she was attacked.
The San Diego District Attorney’s office reviewed this evidence and determined that criminal charges could not be filed against Araiza. This decision was communicated to the woman and her attorney in a meeting attended by San Diego deputy district attorney Trisha Amador, a district attorney investigator, and a victim advocate.
Matt Araiza left the party before the incident
Amador explained to the woman that Araiza had left the party about an hour before the time of the reported rape, according to a witness.
Amador said Araiza is “alleged to have left the party at 12:30” and was not “even at the party anymore” when the alleged rape occurred at 1:30 a.m.
She also clarified that nobody outside of her office, including the witness who testified to Araiza’s departure from the party, knows about the specific time stamps of the videos recovered from the party.
While this news is undoubtedly a relief for Araiza, we must not ignore how a false allegation can destroy a man’s life. Many women who don’t have anything but their bodies to show for themselves tend to try and exploit successful men.
It is also worth noting that the district attorney’s office was unable to prove awareness of the victim’s age or intoxication level among the party attendees. This underscores the importance of obtaining affirmative consent from all parties involved in sexual activity, as well as the need for bystander intervention to prevent potential sexual assault.
While the evidence reportedly shows that Matt Araiza was not involved in the alleged gang rape of a minor, the case serves as a reminder to be weary of degenerative behavior from members of either gender.
Acting irresponsibly and then crying foul after things go south is extremely irresponsible behavior and should warrant punishment for the so-called ‘Victim’s. We hope Matt takes valuable lessons from this incident and adjusts his future behavior accordingly as people like him are usually on the radars of bad faith actors.
