A Utah lady has alleged that BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff raped, strangled and bit her, and that she was inspired by Provo police to not do something after reporting it, in line with a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Utah state court docket.
The girl, recognized within the lawsuit as Jane Doe A.G., alleges the assault occurred at Retzlaff’s house in November 2023.
“A 12 months and half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to expertise excessive post-traumatic stress dysfunction and different trauma signs as she works to course of what occurred and transfer on,” the lawsuit states.
Retzlaff’s legal professional, Mark Baute, mentioned in an announcement that his consumer is “factually harmless.”
“We stay up for proving that innocence,” Baute mentioned. “Jake’s focus this 12 months shall be on soccer. We do not strive circumstances within the media, we are going to respect the method and set up Jake’s innocence via the judicial system.”
Electronic mail and telephone calls to a spokesperson for the BYU athletic division and the Provo Police Division in search of remark weren’t instantly returned.
The lawsuit says the girl and Retzlaff linked via social media in October 2023 and messaged for just a few weeks earlier than he invited her to his place on or round Nov. 22. The girl and a buddy arrived at Retzlaff’s house that evening, the place pals and teammates of Retzlaff have been additionally current.
Later that night, the girl’s buddy left, after which Retzlaff and the girl began watching a film, the lawsuit states.
“In some unspecified time in the future they started to kiss, however Jane Doe A.G. didn’t need to do something extra,” the lawsuit states. “Retzlaff started escalating the state of affairs … and Jane Doe A.G. tried to de-escalate the state of affairs and tried to sluggish issues down, making an attempt to drag away, and saying ‘wait.’ She didn’t need to do something sexual with him.”
The lawsuit says the girl instructed Retlaff “no” and “wait, cease,” however he continued to drive himself on her. After she tried to stand up out of the mattress, the lawsuit alleges, in graphic element, that Retzlaff put his arms round her neck and proceeded to rape her.
“It damage so dangerous and prompted a lot ache that Jane Doe A.G. handed out,” the lawsuit states. “Jane Doe A.G. remembers tears rolling down her face as she fought to breathe.”
The girl visited the hospital just a few days later, the place a rape equipment was carried out and footage of her accidents have been taken. The lawsuit says she was linked with Provo police, however didn’t initially share Retzlaff’s identify.
“In some unspecified time in the future after talking to the police, an officer reached out to her asking for the identify as a result of another person filed a criticism in opposition to a soccer participant and the police needed to see if it was the identical particular person,” the lawsuit mentioned. “At that time Jane Doe A.G. shared Retzlaff’s identify, and the Provo police then inspired her to not do something as a result of, as they claimed, ‘sexual assault victims by no means get justice.'”
Retzlaff made 4 begins for BYU in November 2023, and he took over as this system’s beginning quarterback for the 2024 season, serving as co-captain. He transferred to BYU from Riverside Metropolis Faculty in Southern California.
