Jerry Sandusky’s Wife Says Abuse Charges ‘Absolutely Untrue’

As the former Penn State coach has been accused of additional crimes, his wife is speaking out in his defense.

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Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Office / Handout / Reuters

Former Penn State University football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky (C) is led away by police after being arrested in a sex crimes investigation, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in this November 5, 2011 photograph.

Throughout the scandal that’s erupted at Penn State over the past few weeks, there have been seemingly dozens of accusations flying every day. Arguments have been made over who knew what and who did enough to stop the alleged abuse of several young boys (and the alleged rape of another).

And amid the accusations against Joe Paterno, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz and Mike McQueary for not properly reporting the crimes or doing enough to prevent them, there’s been a fair share of defenders as well. Hundreds of Penn State students rioted after the news that legendary football coach Paterno was fired. Other’s defended the university’s staff, saying they’d done all that was required of them. Notably, however, there were very few voices chiming in in defense of Jerry Sandusky, the man who’s been accused of the abuse.

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Until now, that is. Dorothy “Dottie” Sandusky and the former assistant football coach have been married for more than 45 years, and they adopted six children together. And as her husband faces new charges as more accusers come forward, she’s speaking out in defense of her husband. In a statement given to Sandusky’s lawyer, the Associated Press reports Dottie said “I am so sad anyone would make such a terrible accusation which is absolutely untrue. We don’t know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue.”

Meanwhile, Sandusky has been released from jail on more than $250,000 in bail. It’s not clear why Dottie has waited until now to publicly defend her husband, though it’s possibly due to the new charges that have been laid against him. In addition to the 40 counts of sex abuse that were brought against the former coach in November, 12 additional charges have been made as two new alleged victims have spoken out. Disturbingly, according to the grand jury report, one of the accusers has said that he was 10 to 12 when he was molested and raped by Sandusky in the coach’s home and, on at least one occasion, Dottie was upstairs but didn’t respond to his screams for help.

With the mounting evidence against Sandusky — which includes not only victims’ testimony but also an eyewitness account of the rape of a 10-year-old boy — his wife’s support seems futile. However, there is one part of Dottie’s statement that surely everyone can believe: “I have been devastated by these accusations.”

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