Australian footballers will not face charges over hotel incident

Police in the Australian state of Victoria said on Friday that four Australian Football League (AFL, the country's top Australian rules football competition) players will not be charged following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel. Police said the decision followed a thorough investigation and legal advice, and that evidence was insufficient.

The players investigated were Sydney Swans' Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner, along with Nick Blakey, who now plays for North Melbourne. The incident took place in August at the Pullman Hotel. All four were suspended for the rest of the season. The men previously denied wrongdoing but apologised for breaching club standards by inviting women back to the hotel after a game and drinking.

Australian media reported that three women, understood to be adult entertainers, alleged inappropriate touching during the incident. They are looking into civil action. A fifth player, Riley Bice, who was also suspended by the club, had already been cleared by police. Citing the ongoing civil matter, police declined to comment further.

Lawyers react

Jackson Pannam of the Slater and Gordon law firm, who represents one of the women, said his client was devastated by the decision. He stressed that it is not a finding that the reported incident did not occur, and does not lessen the seriousness of what she says happened or its impact on her.

John Karantzis of Carbone Lawyers, acting for the other two women, told the ABC his clients were very disappointed and distressed. They would vigorously pursue a civil claim, which rests on a different burden of proof: the balance of probabilities.

Heeney's response

Heeney welcomed the police announcement, saying the past three months had been incredibly difficult for his family, his fiancee Steffie and those close to him. He thanked family and friends for their love and loyalty.