Patrick Kane won't face rape charges

Rape charges against Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane will not be pursued, the Erie County (New York) District Attorney's office announced on Thursday.

"The Town of Hamburg Police Department and the Office of the Erie County District Attorney have conducted an exhaustive investigation over the course of the past three months regarding allegations made by a 21 year-old woman that 26 year-old Patrick Kane raped her on his bed," the DA's statement said. "There are significant material inconsistencies between the complainant's accounts and those of other witnesses."

The statement listed the rest of the police department's findings, which included, "physical evidence and the forensic evidence, [which] when viewed in tandem, tend to contradict the complainant's claim that she was raped on Kane's bed." Erie County DA Frank A. Sedita III notes that the case is "rife with reasonable doubt" and that the "proof does not substantiate the complainant's allegation."

According to the DA, Kane's accuser has elected to cease pursuing a criminal prosecution. This comes just two days after a report that she had stopped cooperating with law enforcement due to the stress the case was causing her and her family.

In September, the accuser's lawyer, citing ethical obligations, withdrew from the case. He had previously accused the Erie County Central Police Services of tampering with his client's rape kit, a claim which was eventually debunked. It had previously been reported that the rape kit had found no evidence of Kane's DNA.

The rape accusation against Kane was first made in early August. It was alleged to have taken place in Kane's offseason home in Hamburg, N.Y. He and the accuser allegedly met earlier that evening at a night club.

Kane has been permitted to play throughout the investigation.