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Bryant accuser's name to be disclosed - judge

October 07, 2004 10:03 IST
The young woman who accused basketball star Kobe Bryant of rape must disclose her identity in her civil case against him, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

The name of the Colorado woman, who was 19 when she said the Los Angeles Laker raped her in a hotel room in a Vail-area resort, was kept secret in a criminal case that was dismissed last month.

She sought the same anonymity in her civil lawsuit, but U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch agreed with Bryant's lawyers that concealing her name might make it appear that the court was favoring her.

"The defendant's concern that the requested protection of the identity of a plaintiff may be construed as a prejudgment of the issues in favor of the plaintiff is justified,"

the judge wrote.

Her name will be listed in the lawsuit's documents on Oct. 20, according to the judge's order.

The woman, who is now 20, filed a civil lawsuit in August under the name "Jane Doe." If Bryant loses, he would pay money but face no prison time.

The woman's attorney, John Clune, said he had not yet seen the judge's order.

"Our biggest concern was this woman's safety," he said, referring to death threats she has received.

Bryant's attorneys were unavailable for comment.

Mainstream news organizations have not published her name, but supermarket tabloids and Internet sites have identified her.

Source: REUTERS
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