SAN DIEGO — The teenager accusing NFL rookie, Matt Araiza of rape recently spoke to CBS News. She says when Araiza was playing for the Aztecs and ultimately drafted by the Buffalo Bills, she was “having to deal with this horrible traumatic experience that I never asked for.”
The accuser who asked not to be named recently turned 18. She alleged that Araiza and two other players assaulted her for more than an hour at an off-campus party last October. She told CBS News, “I was bleeding, I was crying, and my friend immediately grabbed me and took me outside and asked what happened, and I told her and the rest of my friend, I said, I had been raped."
The next day she wrote in her journal, “All I keep replaying in my mind is being face down in a random bed just waiting for it to be over.”
Despite the claims, Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, says his client will be vindicated. “I would be very surprised if they ever charged Matt Araiza with anything in this case.” When asked why he thinks the civil suit was filed, Armstrong responded, “He had what we call the deep pockets of these three men, and I still think it's a money grab on her part on the part of Mr. Araiza.”
CBS News told the alleged victim what Armstrong said about how they think the suit is a money grab. She responded by saying, “Honestly that makes me really sick to the stomach. I reported it the day after it happened. I was only 17 years old and I had no idea who Matt Araiza was.”
Araiza was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in April, the team admitted to learning about the allegations in July. The Bills cut Araiza after the lawsuit went public. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said, “It's not a situation that we take lightly whatsoever… It's just a matter of trying to find the truth at the end of the day, right? That's the goal is find the truth and do the right thing."
When asked what it was like to see Araiza drafted to the NFL, the accuser said, “When I did find out that Matt was drafted into the NFL, I honestly, I can't put into words how upsetting it was. I just felt like it wasn't fair to do that, when I've been facing consequences for his actions.”
Matt Araiza’s parents also released a statement on Monday defending their son against the rape allegations. It read: “The rule of law is innocent until proven guilty. That is not our experience. There has been war waged on our son. He has been tried and convicted in the media based on information solely from the alleged victim and her attorney, much of it through social media. People have taken his information as factual, when it is not.
We do not wish this experience on anyone, but question why our son is the only one receiving this kind of treatment by social media and national news media. The vitriol has been on him alone.
He has been extorted, discriminated against, harassed and the subject of multiple and continuous threats of violence and death. He has been released from his job and our entire family continues to receive horrific threats of violence and death. We have all been canceled. Every member of our family.
Salacious rumors grew as fact. There are multiple witness reports to deny the claims against him. The legal system is designed to find the facts and make decisions. They should be allowed to do that.”
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