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"I wish he was never drafted." Woman accusing Matt Araiza of rape speaks out

Posted at 10:47 PM, Aug 30, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-31 10:03:56-04

SAN DIEGO, CA. — The woman accusing former Bills punter, Matt Araiza, of gang raping her in a civil lawsuit filed last week says justice has not been served since Araiza has not been criminally charged.

Araiza’s accuser spoke out in a T.V. interview with 7 News' sister station in San Diego, saying she feels Araiza should have never made it to an NFL team given the serious accusations against him.

"Getting cut from the team was really a boost for me," she said. "I do wish something was done sooner. I wish he was never drafted. I'm trying to be as understanding as possible."

The Buffalo Bills cut Araiza after naming him the starting punter shortly after the lawsuit dropped last week.

The woman says she was in the car when she heard the news of his release from the team.

"I was crying and screaming. It was a lot of emotions coming out at once," she said.

At a party last October in San Diego, the woman said Araiza took her to a room with other student-athletes inside and raped her for an hour and a half.

"Several men were taking turns assaulting me from behind," she said. "At one point I had seen a flash come on behind me that was on for a couple of minutes and my thought was that someone must have been recording."

The woman, who was underage at the time of the alleged assault, says she had to deal with serious mental trauma.

She says the pain of that night will stay with her for the rest of her life.

All evidence has been handed over to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.