The preliminary hearing for Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov was held yesterday, with testimony from the responding officer garnering the most headlines and causing people across the nation to feel disgusted and angry.
Those people may feel even more frustrated and angry today, as TMZ has obtained a letter that Voynov's wife, Marta Varlamova penned in defense of her husband.
The letter, which Varlamova sent to the L.A. District County Attorney in November, details her version of the events of that evening -- most of which she blames on herself -- and wonders at the lack of fairness in a world where "other athletes" can escape prosecution for similar crimes, but her husband will be forced to stand trial.
Some of the highlights include:
On how she was cut:
"Finally, while I was on my feet, still holding onto his arms, going very close to him and continuing to argue, Slava said, "Enough, enough, enough" (also in Russian), and he pushed my shoulders harder to make me let go of him so he could get away from me. I turned to keep my balance so that Slava could not walk away, and I turned my head toward the wall, where there was a flat screen television. That television is normally flat against the wall, not on a stand, but it was turned toward the bed and so it was sticking out toward me. If it was not turned out from the wall, I would not have hit it and I would not have fallen down. However, I did not see it as I turned. I hit my eyebrow against the corner of the television, I was cut and fell."
On what happened at the hospital, where they only spoke English, after her injury:
"They kept me there asking more and more questions, and I got the feeling that if they did not like my answers they would ask it again or would try to ask another way. I don't think they understood exactly what I was trying to say and I do not think I understood exactly what they were trying to say. It was very frustrating. What was the most important to me was to get the medical treatment so I could go with my husband and be back home with Kristina and go to sleep. I asked in English "Give to me the stitches, please" and instead they asked me more questions about how I was hurt and what happened, and I said something like "I want to get the stitches" and then they would ask the same questions and I would say "Yes, yes. Give to me maybe the stitches soon. I need some stitches." They still would not give me the stitches. They wanted to ask more questions and take pictures and not give me the stitches."
On the aftermath of the incident and how she views Voynov's situation as unfair:
"I find the details of this argument very embarrassing and do not want my friends and family to know everything happened that night. I know perfectly well that Slava not commit any crime against me and I do not want to see him prosecuted. I have heard about these other athletes on the news who did things that Slava did not do, and did these things on purpose like Slava did not do, but they are not charge and yet people are thinking about charging Slava with a crime. I do not think it is right."
Read the full letter for yourself here.
