Australian footballers will not be charged after hotel incident, police say
Four Sydney Swans players had been under investigation after an alleged sexual assault after a game in Melbourne.
Noticia publicada originalmente por BBC News — World en bbc.co.uk (se abre en una pestaña nueva). Minuto 24 no es autor de este contenido.
Claves de la noticia
- La policía de Victoria, en Australia, ha decidido no presentar cargos penales contra cuatro jugadores de los Sydney Swans de la AFL investigados por una presunta agresión sexual en un hotel de Melbourne.
- La policía citó la falta de pruebas suficientes tras una investigación exhaustiva y basada en asesoramiento legal.
- Los jugadores Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner y Nick Blakey, que ahora juega para North Melbourne, habían sido suspendidos por el resto de la temporada tras el incidente de agosto.
- Los hombres negaron haber cometido irregularidades, pero se disculparon por incumplir las normas del club al invitar a mujeres al hotel tras un partido y beber alcohol.
- Los abogados de tres mujeres anunciaron que buscarán emprender acciones civiles, ya que el criterio de prueba en ese ámbito es diferente.
Contexto
La Liga Australiana de Fútbol (AFL) es una de las competiciones deportivas más seguidas de Australia, y sus jugadores suelen tener gran notoriedad pública. Este caso surgió tras un incidente ocurrido en un hotel de Melbourne, que llevó al club a tomar medidas disciplinarias contra varios integrantes de su plantilla. La decisión policial no equivale a una declaración de que los hechos no ocurrieron, según han señalado los representantes de las denunciantes. Además, el proceso civil sigue abierto, por lo que el asunto no está cerrado. La noticia pone de relieve cómo las investigaciones penales y las reclamaciones civiles pueden tener resultados distintos, y el papel que juegan las normas internas de los clubes deportivos.
Resumen elaborado por Minuto 24 con ayuda de inteligencia artificial a partir de la noticia publicada por BBC News — World. Puede contener imprecisiones: ante cualquier duda, consulta la fuente original.
Published13 November 2026, 01:03 GMT
Four top Australian Football League (AFL) players who were investigated in relation to an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in Melbourne earlier this year will not be charged, police have said.
After a "thorough investigation and based on legal advice" police would not proceed with criminal charges due to "insufficient evidence", police said in a statement.
Four Sydney Swans players - Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey, who now plays for North Melbourne - had been suspended for the rest of the season over the incident in August.
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, had alleged inappropriate touching during the incident at the Pullman Hotel and are looking into civil action.
"Due to the ongoing civil matter, Victoria Police is unable to make further comment," police said in a statement on Friday.
A fifth player, Riley Bice, who was also suspended by the club, had already been cleared by police.
A lawyer for one of the women said she was "devastated" by the police decision.
Jackson Pannam, of Slater and Gordon law firm, added that the move "does not amount to a finding that the incident our client reported did not occur, nor does it diminish the seriousness of what she says happened or its profound impact on her".
John Karantzis from Carbone Lawyers, acting for the other two women, told the ABC his clients were "very disappointed and distressed".
They would "vigorously pursue" a civil action, he said.
"My clients' civil claim is based on a different burden of proof, it is based on the balance of probabilities," he said.
Heeney welcomed the police announcement, saying the past three months had been "incredibly difficult for my family, [my fiancee] Steffie and those close to me".
"To my family and friends, your love and loyalty has meant more than words can do justice," he continued.
