On a Friday in November, Victoria Police set aside any criminal case against four Sydney Swans players, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey, over an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel months earlier, concluding that the evidence was insufficient. The episode sits in a familiar human pattern: a night of drinking and invitation, a claim from women who say they were harmed, and a justice system that asks a narrower question than the one the people involved are still living with. The men denied wrongdoing but acknowledged breaching club standards, and the club has prom
Police drop investigation into four Sydney Swans players over alleged Melbourne hotel assault
Three women, understood to be adult entertainers, alleged inappropriate touching during the incident and are considering civil action, with lawyers describing them as devastated and distressed.
Not a decision that the incident did not occur
Mark
Police say no charges. Does that mean nothing happened?
Mimi
No, and the lawyer for one of the women said so directly. The decision is not a finding that the incident didn't occur.
Luke
Right, and it cuts the other way too. Police said only that evidence was insufficient to charge. They haven't said what the evidence showed.
Mark
Why does the civil route matter here?
Mimi
Karantzis said his clients' claim rests on the balance of probabilities, a lower bar than a criminal case.
Luke
Worth noting that's a lawyer describing his own clients' position. And the civil action is still being looked into, according to media reports. Nothing has been filed that we know of.
Mark
What about the women themselves?
Mimi
Their lawyers describe them as devastated and distressed. The reports say they're understood to be adult entertainers, and that they alleged inappropriate touching.
Luke
That description comes from Australian media reports, not from police. And the players denied wrongdoing, though they apologised for inviting women back and drinking.
Mark
And the Swans?
Mimi
They stand by the suspensions and have begun a review of their AFL program, promising meaningful change.
Luke
We don't yet know what the review will examine in detail, or when it will report.
Le Pouls
- Police have closed the criminal case against four high-profile AFL players, leaving a sharp gap between legal clearance and public unease.
- Three women, understood to be adult entertainers, allege inappropriate touching and their lawyers say they are devastated and distressed.
- The Sydney Swans have stood down the players for the rest of the season and launched a comprehensive review of their AFL program.
- Civil action is being weighed on the balance of probabilities, a lower bar that could reopen the dispute in a different courtroom.
- The club's CEO says it is no day for celebration, while the internal review and the women's legal options continue to unfold.
On a Friday in November, Victoria Police set aside any criminal case against four Sydney Swans players, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey, over an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel months earlier, concluding that the evidence was insufficient. The episode sits in a familiar human pattern: a night of drinking and invitation, a claim from women who say they were harmed, and a justice system that asks a narrower question than the one the people involved are still living with. The men denied wrongdoing but acknowledged breaching club standards, and the club has promised to examine its culture. Yet the matter is not finished, because three women are weighing civil action under a lower standard of proof, and the difference between what can be proven in court and what was felt in that room remains unresolved.
On Friday, Victoria Police announced that four Australian Football League players, Sydney Swans men Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner, and Nick Blakey, now with North Melbourne, will not face criminal charges over an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel. After what it called a thorough investigation, and acting on legal advice, the force found insufficient evidence to proceed. The men had been suspended by the Swans for the rest of the season after the August incident. They denied wrongdoing but apologised for breaching club standards by inviting women back to the hotel after a game and drinking.
Three women, understood to be adult entertainers, alleged inappropriate touching. Their lawyers responded with grief and resolve. Jackson Pannam of Slater and Gordon, acting for one of them, said his client was devastated, stressing that the decision was not a finding that the incident did not occur. John Karantzis of Carbone Lawyers, acting for the other two, said his clients were very disappointed and distressed, and pointed to the lower burden of proof in a civil claim.
Heeney welcomed the decision and spoke of three hard months for his family and his fiancee, thanking loved ones for their loyalty. The Swans maintained that their suspensions were separate from the police process and stood by them. The club has begun a comprehensive review of its AFL program and promised meaningful change. CEO Matthew Pavlich said it was not a day for anyone to celebrate.
The criminal question is closed for now, but the civil one is not. Any claim would be tested on the balance of probabilities, and the Swans' internal review is still under way.
On Friday, Victoria Police announced that four of the Australian Football League's best-known players will not face criminal charges over an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel. After what it called a thorough investigation, and acting on legal advice, the force said there was insufficient evidence to proceed.
The four are Sydney Swans players Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner, along with Nick Blakey, who now plays for North Melbourne. All had been suspended by the Swans for the rest of the season after the incident in August. A fifth player, Riley Bice, was also suspended by the club but had already been cleared by police earlier.
The men had denied wrongdoing. They did apologise, though, for breaching club standards by inviting women back to the hotel after a game and drinking. The hotel was the Pullman in Melbourne.
Australian media reported that three women, understood to be adult entertainers, had alleged inappropriate touching during the incident. The reports say they are now looking into civil action. Police said that because of the ongoing civil matter, they could make no further comment.
Lawyers for the women responded quickly. Jackson Pannam of Slater and Gordon, who acts for one of them, said his client was devastated by the decision. He stressed that it does not amount to a finding that the incident she reported did not occur, nor does it lessen the seriousness of what she says happened or its profound impact on her.
John Karantzis of Carbone Lawyers, who acts for the other two women, told the ABC his clients were very disappointed and distressed. He pointed to the legal difference ahead: their civil claim rests on the balance of probabilities, a lower burden of proof than a criminal case requires.
Heeney welcomed the police announcement. He said the past three months had been incredibly difficult for his family, his fiancee Steffie and those close to him, and thanked friends and family for a love and loyalty he said words could not do justice.
The Swans said it had been clear from the outset that its suspensions were separate from the police investigation, and that it stands by that decision. The club has begun a comprehensive examination of its AFL program and says it is committed to acting on the findings and making meaningful change, to build an environment that players, staff, members, supporters and corporate partners can be proud of.
Club CEO Matthew Pavlich told reporters it was not a day for anyone to celebrate, and that the club is still looking hard at the program and where it needs to improve. He said the Swans would do everything to restore the standards the club has held for a long period of time.
The criminal question is closed for now, but the civil one is not. Any claim by the women would be tested on that lower standard of proof, and the Swans' internal review is still under way.
Citations marquantes
The decision does not amount to a finding that the incident our client reported did not occur.— Jackson Pannam, Slater and Gordon, lawyer for one of the women
It's not a day for anyone to really celebrate.— Matthew Pavlich, Swans CEO
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur BBC ↗