The Sydney Swans have hit out with a fresh claim no staff member has been interviewed in the ongoing investigation into an alleged sexual assault inside the club\u2019s hotel.<\/p>\n
The football club issued the stern statement after Victoria Police issued its own update surrounding the sexual crime squad\u2019s investigation into a report of alleged sexual assault.<\/p>\n
The Swans\u2019 statement comes as unfounded rumours about members of the club\u2019s staff being in the hotel room on Monday morning have been shared on social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sydney Swans supports the action taken by Victoria Police in releasing today\u2019s statement regarding the investigation,\u201d the club said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sydney Swans categorically confirms that no member of staff is involved in the investigation. This includes being in the hotel room central to the police investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe club reiterates that no player has been interviewed by police at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victoria Police said in a statement \u201ca number of people\u201d have been spoken to as detectives continue their inquiries. <\/p>\n
\u201cDetectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad continue to investigate a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on 17 August,\u201d Victoria police said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe exact circumstances of the matter are still being established and a number of people have been spoken to. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs the investigation remains active and ongoing, we will not be commenting further including providing information on the specific circumstances of the matter, movements of detectives and any statements or interviews taken. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhere there is information that it is appropriate and beneficial to release then we will do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Swans on Friday issued a statement to say the five players suspended \u2014 Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice \u2014 were the only representatives of the club in the room central to the police investigation.<\/p>\n
The woman at the centre of the alleged sexual assault incident on Friday said up to nine people were in the Pullman Hotel room as players partied following their win over Essendon at the MCG on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The club insisted on Friday that the five players wiped out for the season were the only Swans staff present. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It emerged on Friday night former Swans player Taylor Adams, a close friend of Heeney, visited the hotel room at some point on Monday morning, according to The Age.<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s statement that \u201cno player has been interviewed by police at this stage\u201d contrasts to a 7News report this week that Victoria Police sexual crimes squad detectives flew to Sydney to speak to Swans players.<\/p>\n
The Swans\u2019 have made no public statement about ongoing reports Heeney is at the centre of the investigation.<\/p>\n
All five players have denied criminal wrongdoing. No formal charges have been filed. It was earlier reported no Swans player had been formally interviewed by police, however, it was reported police concluded their \u201cinterviews\u201d with the five players as their investigation remains ongoing.<\/p>\n
Unfounded rumours have spread about members of the club\u2019s staff being in the hotel room on Monday morning, but the club has moved to silence unfounded claims circulating on social media about members of the coaching staff.<\/p>\n
The alleged sexual assault incident scandal surrounds allegations a woman was inappropriately touched \u201cbeyond what was agreed\u201d after she and another woman were called to the hotel room after 4am. <\/p>\n
The ABC reported Victoria Police detectives have been told some Sydney players paid the two adult entertainers to allow them to consume drugs, believed to be cocaine, \u201cfrom the women\u2019s breasts and buttocks\u201d.<\/p>\n
Code Sports reported on Saturday one of the women was \u201cenraged\u201d when one male in the room slapped her buttocks four times instead of the three slaps that had been agreed.<\/p>\n
As it has been widely reported, the two exotic dancers, arranged through Party Girls Melbourne, were called after 4am and were seen in the hotel foyer speaking with hotel staff and Swans employees, including coach Dean Cox, before 7am \u2014 meaning the entire incident unfolded in a number of hours.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no suggestion Cox was inside the hotel room during the alleged incident.<\/p>\n
Cox and captain Callum Mills were grilled by reporters on Friday. The pair categorically denied being in the room and made public apologies to the \u201ccommunity\u201d and to the club\u2019s AFL Women\u2019s team for the behaviour of the five players.<\/p>\n
While the focus rightly remains on the allegation of sexual assault and the welfare of the woman who made the allegation, there remains intense scrutiny on the football club ahead of its final home-and-away season match against North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday. <\/p>\n
Read related topics:Melbourne<\/a>Sydney<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sydney Swans have hit out with a fresh claim no staff member has been interviewed in 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