Following the San Diego District Attorney's (DA) decision last week to not file criminal charges in an alleged rape by San Diego State (SDSU) football players, students marched in protest Wednesday.
"We want consequences to be given, because if they are not, it enables this behavior," said Jade Smith, SDSU student and organizer of the Survivors' March. "This issue specifically holds this really special place in my heart because I’ve experienced it so many times."
A teenage girl reported she was taken to a backroom of a house on Rockford Drive on Oct. 16, 2021, and repeatedly assaulted by three men — later named in a civil suit as Matt Araiza, Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko. All three were on the SDSU football team at the time.
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Araiza was later drafted by the Buffalo Bills. When news broke that he was named in the suit, the Bills dropped him. Leonard and Ewaliko were not on the 2022 Aztec team.
The DA’s office said it received the San Diego Police Department’s report on Aug. 5 for review, with no recommendation for criminal charges. Since then, the office said it conducted a thorough review, including interviewing 35 witnesses, looking at the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam, DNA results, and evidence from 10 search warrants.
The warrants yielded evidence from cell phones with videos of the incident, according to the DA’s office.
“Ultimately, prosecutors determined it is clear the evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges and there is no path to a potential criminal conviction,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
Smith hopes for change and wants SDSU to acknowledge students' concerns.
“It’s hard having to experience something traumatizing to the point where you don’t feel heard or you feel numb even mentioning it or talking about it,” Smith said. “I don’t feel safe in this campus. I know other survivors don’t feel safe in this campus and that is why I’m here.”
First-year SDSU student Grant Becker also took part in the march. He said he feels safer than his female friends on campus.
“It's my first semester here and it was a rough start getting that email right at the start of the semester about a huge sexual assault scandal,” Becker said.
Smith has this message for other sexual assault survivors: “To not be afraid even when it feels like the whole world is crumbling down. There are people there that believe you and will be there to support you.”
SDSU’s investigation remains active regardless of the DA’s decision.
The university continues to urge anyone with information to come forward and share it with the Title IX office.
