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Arroyo, age 34, was the subject of a Boston Globe article this week that uncovered the investigations into the Democratic candidate in 2005 and 2007. Neither of those led to any charges, and Arroyo said he was never informed about any allegations.
Arroyo is facing off against interim Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden in the Sept. 6 Democratic primary. The Boston City Councilor released a statement that called the report false and a political smear job from his opponent's campaign.
Let me be perfectly clear. I never did what was alleged, then or ever. In fact, the individual from 2007 referenced in the Boston Globe made that very clear in her statement, saying “Ricardo Arroyo did not assault me ever.”Until a week ago, I had never been informed there were any such allegations ever made. I first learned of these allegations last week from the Boston Globe. I was never questioned by either Boston Public School officials or the Boston Police Department relative to any such allegations. I have never been disciplined by the Boston Public Schools for any reason.... Sadly, what has now become clear is that the current District Attorney – or an official working on his behalf – just weeks before the election has selectively and illegally leaked incomplete information to the media. This was clearly done to leave the false impression that I did something wrong.
Though, the Boston Globe found police records in the 2005 investigation that said police officers spoke to an 18-year-old Arroyo and his attorney about the allegation.
In 2007, a 17-year-old girl said she thought she could have been raped at a house party but wasn't sure because she had blacked out, the Globe reported. She went to the hospital the day after but did not want to be examined.
The woman did not wish to participate in the Globe's story, however, when reporters reached out to her last week.
“... For clarity purposes," she told a reporter last week, "Ricardo Arroyo did not assault me ever. I do not know who did or what happened.”
This report follows a controversy involving Arroyo's opponent.
Critics called DA Hayden out for failing to investigate an April 2021 incident where an off-duty MBTA Transit Officer pulled a gun on a man during a traffic altercation. The Boston Globe reported on the incident earlier this month, and several people called his inaction a cover-up.
Hayden announced he had opened a grand jury investigation amid calls for his resignation. Though, he said in a statement that his decision had nothing to do with the media pressure.
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