Duke Accuser Gives Birth; Judge Orders Paternity Test
The stripper who has accused three Duke lacrosse players of raping her in March gave birth to a child late Thursday night—almost exactly nine months after the alleged rape. Friday a judge ordered paternity testing.
Late last night came the bombshell news that the stripper at the center of the Duke lacrosse team rape allegations had given birth to a child. The birth comes precisely nine months after the alleged rape took place.
District Attorney Mike Nifong told reporters that he believes the accuser became pregnant at least two weeks after the party. Defense attorney Joseph Cheshire said that the defense has known for some time about the pregnancy, but after the child was born they petitioned a judge to request paternity testing to prove that the child does not belong to any lacrosse player. Defense attorneys have dismissed that prospect as being an "absolute impossibility."
The woman has said the three men raped her in a bathroom at a March 13 team party where she had been hired to perform as a stripper. Cheshire said that the night of the party, after the allegations of rape, the accuser had been given a pregnancy test and it was negative. She also was given an emergency contraceptive in the hospital. "The possibility of her having gotten pregnant (from) these alleged incidents is an impossibility…an absolute impossibility," said Cheshire.
Defense attorneys have insisted for months that no sex occurred at the party, citing the results of DNA testing that found genetic material from several males in the accuser’s underwear and on various parts of her body—but none of those samples matched any member of the lacrosse team.
Even though lawyers and prosecutors close to the case say they knew about the pregnancy, there had been no prior public indication that the woman, a 28-year old college student with two other children, was pregnant. She has not spoken in public since giving a single interview to the Raleigh News and Observer shortly after the party.
When asked by reporters on Friday, the accuser’s father said that he didn’t know much about her pregnancy and had not spoken with her since March. "I’m happy to have another grandchild," he said, "but I don’t know the situation behind it."
District Attorney Mike Nifong told reporters that he believes the accuser became pregnant at least two weeks after the party. Defense attorney Joseph Cheshire said that the defense has known for some time about the pregnancy, but after the child was born they petitioned a judge to request paternity testing to prove that the child does not belong to any lacrosse player. Defense attorneys have dismissed that prospect as being an "absolute impossibility."
The woman has said the three men raped her in a bathroom at a March 13 team party where she had been hired to perform as a stripper. Cheshire said that the night of the party, after the allegations of rape, the accuser had been given a pregnancy test and it was negative. She also was given an emergency contraceptive in the hospital. "The possibility of her having gotten pregnant (from) these alleged incidents is an impossibility…an absolute impossibility," said Cheshire.
Defense attorneys have insisted for months that no sex occurred at the party, citing the results of DNA testing that found genetic material from several males in the accuser’s underwear and on various parts of her body—but none of those samples matched any member of the lacrosse team.
Even though lawyers and prosecutors close to the case say they knew about the pregnancy, there had been no prior public indication that the woman, a 28-year old college student with two other children, was pregnant. She has not spoken in public since giving a single interview to the Raleigh News and Observer shortly after the party.
When asked by reporters on Friday, the accuser’s father said that he didn’t know much about her pregnancy and had not spoken with her since March. "I’m happy to have another grandchild," he said, "but I don’t know the situation behind it."
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