Citing Unresolved Domestic Violence Charges, Blumenthal Urges U.S. Soccer to Conduct Investigation into Hope Solo Incidents

Press Release

As the United States Women's National Soccer Team (WNT) prepares for its second game in this year's 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to the U.S. Soccer Federation regarding outstanding domestic violence counts against WNT goalie, Hope Solo, and U.S. Soccer's failure to take adequate action to investigate and act in response to the charges. In the letter to U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, Blumenthal cited the evidence that the league made no attempt to contact the victims -- Solo's half-sister and her half-sister's son -- or law enforcement involved with the charges when considering the case and possible penalties against Solo. These actions fail to adequately address the serious nature of these charges and U.S. Soccer should immediately conduct a more fair and thorough investigation, as well as reconsider Solo's role as an active member of Team USA.

Blumenthal wrote, "Last year, I criticized the NFL for failing to adequately punish domestic violence in the wake of a two-game suspension given to Ray Rice. It is distressing that after so many months of national dialogue on the issue, we find ourselves at square one in the Hope Solo situation. If the Outside the Lines reports are correct, U.S. Soccer's approach to domestic violence and family violence in this instance is at best superficial and at worst dangerously neglectful and self-serving.

"I urge U.S. Soccer to actually conduct a thorough investigation into this incident -- an inquiry that includes a comprehensive review of police reports and interviews of the alleged victims. Additionally, in the interim, I urge U.S. Soccer to reconsider Hope Solo's position as an active member of Team USA. As boys and girls tune in to Friday's game, watching the women on TV as role models, it sends exactly the wrong message to start Hope Solo at goal."

"Domestic violence and family violence are an horrific scourge that happens behind closed doors every day in this country. Regardless of whether the violence is a man striking a woman, a woman striking a man, or same-sex violence, it is unacceptable. Domestic violence is intolerable particularly for an athlete representing the United States of America on the global stage."

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