Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is engaged in settlement talks with the woman he is alleged to have raped at his Hamburg, N.Y. home sometime this offseason, according to a report from WIVB-TV in Buffalo. Word of the settlement talks first emerged on Monday. Per WIVB's report, the sides remain "far apart" in negotiations.
Kane is accused of raping a woman he met at a downtown Buffalo bar last month. The woman, accompanied by a friend, traveled back to Kane's lakefront, offseason home in Hamburg. While there, she claims to have gone into an empty room by herself. Kane followed her, overpowered her and raped her. The woman submitted to a rape kit after traveling to a hospital for examination and was said to have had bite marks on her shoulders and scratch marks on her back as a result of the incident.
Kane has reportedly met with police and submitted to questioning already.
The woman's friend was asked to testify before a grand jury, which was set to kick off on Tuesday. Only, hours before it was to begin, the grand jury investigation was postponed and word emerged that it may be due to settlement talks between Kane's representatives and those of the alleged victim.
