Police Question Sen. Kennedy About Florida Rape Allegation

Florida police detectives questioned Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) Sunday regarding the alleged rape at the Kennedy family’s Palm Beach, Fla., home. They told the senator he was not a suspect in the case, a Kennedy spokesman said.

“The Palm Beach police have informed Sen. Ted Kennedy that neither he nor his son, Patrick, are suspects,” spokesman Paul Donovan told reporters waiting outside Kennedy’s suburban Washington home.

Donovan, however, did not expand on what was discussed during the police interview.

Earlier, Donovan had refused to comment on whether police would also question the senator’s nephew, Georgetown University medical student William Kennedy Smith, in Washington. Palm Beach police have confirmed that Smith, 30, is a suspect in the alleged rape, but no arrests have been made.

A New York newspaper, Newsday, reported Sunday that police planned to seek blood and hair samples from Sen. Kennedy, Smith and the senator’s son, who is a Rhode Island state senator. All three men were at the family home the night of the alleged rape.

The samples were to be compared with semen samples taken from the woman to see if there is a genetic match, the newspaper said. However, Donovan said authorities did not seek blood or hair samples from Kennedy.

“No such request was made,” Donovan said.

Smith’s attorney, Mark Schnapp, said that Smith would comply with the police request but did not specify where and when he would turn over the samples.

Patrick Kennedy said he met with Florida police Saturday in Washington.

“I am cooperating fully with the investigation. I hope that it will be completed and that all the facts will come out as soon as possible,” he said.

The alleged victim, a resident of Jupiter, Fla., told police she was raped on the grounds of the Kennedy compound around 4 a.m. March 30. She was taken to the rape treatment center at Humana Hospital.

The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, quoting unidentified sources close to the investigation Sunday, said the woman accused Smith of raping her near the swimming pool.

The incident allegedly occurred after she drove Smith home from Au Bar, a fashionable Palm Beach lounge Smith had visited with Edward and Patrick Kennedy.

The woman said she and Smith were walking on the beach when Smith took off his clothes and went swimming in the ocean, the newspaper said.

The woman said she walked back to the estate and as she entered the compound, someone grabbed her ankle, tripped her and sexually assaulted her, the newspaper quoted the source as saying.

Smith and Edward and Patrick Kennedy have all denied involvement in such an incident.

A Palm Beach waitress said she was at the mansion in the early morning hours when an assault allegedly occurred, but did not see the woman who made the rape allegations.

Michele Cassone, 24, said she went to the compound at Patrick Kennedy’s invitation. She said she sipped white wine with him and left around 5 a.m.