Patrick Kane will not face rape charges

In America you innocent until proven guilty. Chicago Blackhawks All-Star forward Patrick Kane has been cleared and will not face criminal charges for rape. Now, Kane and the Blackhawks can move forward.

Jared S. Hopkins and Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune --- Blackhawk's star Patrick Kane will not face rape charges after a three-month investigation into a woman's claim that prosecutors concluded was "rife with reasonable doubt."

In a strongly worded statement Thursday morning, Buffalo-area prosecutors offered a withering assessment of the woman's allegation, saying there was no proof that she had been raped. They also suggested that Kane never behaved as if he had committed a crime — though he never spoke with authorities and has maintained an unusually low profile since the investigation began.

Without providing details, Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III said there were "significant material inconsistencies" between the woman's claims and those of other witnesses. He also said the physical evidence and forensic evidence "tend to contradict" her allegation that a rape took place in Kane's bed — where she apparently said it occurred.