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Former WMU Hockey Captain Charged In Sexual Assault, Case Heads To Trial

The sexual assault cases against former Western Michigan University hockey player Paul Washe is now headed toward trial.

He is charged with two acts of sexual assault by force or coercion.

Today is the first time we're hearing his accuser speak publicly about a party where she says Washe raped her.

Washe's accuser took the stand in court on May 11, giving graphic detail of what she says happened that night.

The woman says Washe forced her to give him oral sex and then raped her.

We are not revealing the victim's name or showing her face to protect her identity.

The prosecution says this happened in December at an off campus party.

At the time, Washe was captain of Western Michigan University's hockey team.

"When we got into the basement, I asked him what we're doing down here and then he led me into the back corner which was the back of a HVAC system."

Testifying in court today, washe's accuser says she was drunk when washe led her to a basement then forced her down, and held her head, making her give him oral sex.

"I was saying I don't want to do this. I was trying to pull my pants back up and clip my bra but he pulled them back down."

She went on to testify that Washe then pulled her back up and raped her.

Washe's defense attorney is saying that the sex was consensual and accuses the woman of lying.

Washe was suspended indefinitely from WMU's hockey team at the start of this year, about two months before he was charged with sexual assault.

Today in court the judge says there's enough evidence to suggest Washe used force or coercion to commit these sexual acts to take this case to trial.

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