According to media coverage in the United States, Illinois prosecutors investigating alleged sexual abuse against conductor James Levine said Friday they won’t pursue charges against him, citing state law at the time, challenges in compiling evidence and other factors. The alleged abuse occurred in the summers of 1986 and 1987 when the accuser was 16 and 17 years old. The prosecutor’s statement says: « At the conclusion of the investigation, considering the specific conduct disclosed by the complainant, the age of the complainant at the time, all of the evidence in the case, and the applicable law … it is our decision that no criminal charges can be brought,”
The statement notes the statutory age of consent in Illinois at the time of the alleged abuse was 16, though the state has since raised it to 17 and to 18 in cases where the accused was in a position of trust or authority over the victim.
