Judge to Hear Claim That One Sandusky Accuser Will Withdraw Testimony
A court will hear a petition alleging that a former Penn State victim, identified as R.R., intends to recant his sexual-abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, now 82 and incarcerated for 45 sexual-abuse convictions, will appear via video link for a hearing on a claim that one of his accusers, referred to as R.R., wishes to withdraw his testimony. Defense lawyers contend that R.R.’s original statements were shaped by suggestive questioning, prosecutorial pressure, and memory distortion. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has described the proposed recantation as “highly suspect.”
R.R. testified at his original trial that Sandusky abused him in the coach’s basement when he was 11 years old in 1998. The broader scandal resulted in the firing of Hall of Fame head coach Joe Paterno and forced Penn State to pay over $100 million to victims. Sandusky continues to maintain his innocence while repeatedly losing attempts to secure a new trial.
