Woman reports that she was raped Friday outside a Lawrence hotel; suspect not arrested

Lawrence police conducted an investigation this weekend after a woman reported she was raped Friday evening outside of a Lawrence hotel, Lawrence Police Department spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley said Monday.

The woman told police that she knew the man “for a very short period of time” prior to the alleged attack, McKinley said. The incident was reported at 6:45 p.m. Friday.

McKinley declined to release the name of the hotel near where the incident is alleged to have occurred. He said that in most rape cases, specific locations are withheld because providing the location could lead to the identification of the victim or suspect.

Officers interviewed the woman and the suspect following the report, but an arrest was not made, McKinley said. Both parties were allegedly intoxicated, making the case “very difficult to investigate,” he said.

“At this point, what actually occurred is unclear,” McKinley said.

Police have forwarded the information to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges will be brought, McKinley said.