The decision not to prosecute in the Lizzy Seeberg case, involving an alleged attack by a Notre Dame football player, brings to an end an incident that reflects well on no one.
Seeberg later committed suicide but had a troubled mental history.
The county prosecutor has found that he can not proceed because the only evidence he has is the word of a now dead young woman which makes her statements inadmissible in court.
This is one of those cases where there is no relief or vindication for anyone.
Disturbingly, from the Notre Dame point of view is a comment by the prosecutor that it has been confirmed that a friend of the player texted her saying "Don't do anything you would regret. Messing with Notre Dame football is a bad idea."
If that is not an implied threat then I don't know what is.
However,according to the Chicago Tribune prosecutors have found the text did not amount to criminal harassment, because “the student subjectively believed Ms. Seeberg’s complaint was false, and therefore had a legitimate purpose for his text message.”
Given that Seeberg has obvious depression issues to begun with there is no question that such a text could have sent her over the edge or at the very least made her very fearful.
On the other hand we do not know what transpired between the football player and the young girl and have only known that she complained to campus police but his side has not become public.
Whatever the truth is, it is deeply unfortunate for the university and for the young girl's family that this dreadful affair happened.
But like many things in life there appears to be no clear resolution.
That is effectively what the prosecutor was saying yesterday.
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