The charges of raping a freelance photographer were dropped against an ex-Renaissance Festival Manager by the Minnesota prosecutor. The reason for dropping the charges has been cited as the complainant could not travel to the hearing in the time of COVID-19.
Carr Leon Hagerman aged 62, was charged in June 2018 with two charges of criminal sexual conduct for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman on the Scott County Fairgrounds in fall 2017. His trial hearing was fixed for Monday, as per the Star Tribune.
Why are the charges dropped?
The dismissal of charges was prompted because of the complainant’s inability to travel to Minnesota in the midst of the worldwide pandemic.
“These are serious health concerns that involve her family,” her lawyer John Klassen said on Thursday, further adding that prosecutors are planning to file the case again next year.
“My reaction, representing her, is that Mr. Hagerman is not off the hook and this is not any sort of victory for him.”
Hagerman’s indicter was not permitted by a judge to bear witness distantly, the newspaper conveyed.
Hagerman denies the crime
According to the complaint, he refutes the claim that he committed the crime. As per the accusation, he enticed the woman to a storage room and infuriated over the fact that she was adorning a pink ribbon to show solidarity with other female workers in support of the #MeToo movement.
Hagerman ripped off the ribbon and smashed the woman’s head against a wall while hollering “bitch” and “whore” before taking “some sort of pill” and compelling the woman to carry out oral on him until she puked, the complaint affirms.
“I will do whatever I want with you,” Hagerman said to her as he hit and violated the woman, as per the complaint. “You are my piece of meat.”
Hagerman also apparently impended to kill the woman and “destroy” her life if she testified the assault. She fainted during the attack, which she narrated to police more than a month later.
Hagerman had managed many entertainers at the festival and also teased and sneered the visitors by acting as a 17th century character called the ‘Rat Catcher’ for about 40 years.
Hagerman’s lawyer did not revert back a message which asked for their comments from the Star Tribune on Thursday.
Festival representatives claimed in August that this year’s event would be annulled owing to the COVID-19 induced pandemic.
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