A lot of athletes have been involved in domestic violence incidents lately and most of them had been fined and either banned from a set number of games or the sport entirely.
Hope Solo is also facing domestic violence charges, but she is still playing soccer and has so far received no punishment from the league.
In June, Solo was arrested after she allegedly assaulted her half-sister and her nephew. Solo’s nephew called 911 and when police arrived they found Solo drunk outside the home.
Her half-sister and nephew reportedly had scratches and marks on them and said Solo was angry with them and had attacked them several times that night.
Solo was arrested and faces two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault in Washington. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will go to trial in November.
Solo’s National Women’s Soccer League team, the Seattle Reign, has allowed her to play since her arrest and says that they will continue to let her play until the issue is dealt with in court.
US Soccer stands by Hope Solo decision http://t.co/FtOXG25V61 pic.twitter.com/IBytX9NtQX
— Comcast SportsNet (@CSNAuthentic) September 24, 2014
“U.S. Soccer takes the issue of domestic violence very seriously. From the beginning, we considered the information available and have taken a deliberate and thoughtful approach regarding Hope Solo’s status with the national team,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “Based on that information, U.S. Soccer stands by our decision to allow her to participate with the team as the legal process unfolds. If new information becomes available we will carefully consider it.”
Solo’s attorney believes that he will get the charges dropped and thinks that the league is doing the right thing by allowing Solo to continue playing soccer.
“Hope is not guilty of any crime,” her attorney Todd Maybrown said in an email to The AP following her arrest. “In fact, our investigation reveals that Hope was assaulted and injured during this unfortunate incident. We look forward to the opportunity to present the true facts in court and to having this matter behind Hope very soon.”
Do you think the league is right to allow Solo to play in spite of the charges?