Sitter’s Family Asks for Halt to Kennedy Probe

BOSTON — While accusing Michael Kennedy of an “outrageous breach of trust,” the family of his former baby sitter on Friday asked prosecutors to stop investigating whether Kennedy committed statutory rape.

Robert Popeo, the family’s attorney, said the family wants Norfolk County Dist. Atty. Jeffrey Locke to drop the probe because it is not in the young woman’s best interests. Psychotherapists advised the woman, now 19, that pursuing the case would be bad for her, Popeo said.

However, Popeo warned Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, to stay away from the young woman, now a student at Boston University.

A spokesman for Locke’s office said Locke had no comment. The secretary for Kennedy’s lawyer, Thomas Dwyer, said Dwyer had no comment.

Popeo said the baby sitter’s family won’t cooperate with the investigation, and he doesn’t believe the young woman can be compelled to testify.

“There has been an outrageous breach of trust by Michael Kennedy that has caused considerable trauma to the entire family and, notwithstanding that, because of the interest of their daughter, they will not proceed,” Popeo said.

“They’ve asked [Locke] to terminate the investigation so they can return to the privacy of their lives and the normalcy that they are entitled to enjoy.”

Locke has been investigating published allegations that Kennedy may have begun an affair with the baby sitter when she was 14. If true, Kennedy could face statutory rape charges. The legal age of consent in Massachusetts is 16.

Popeo also said Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.), Michael’s brother, apologized to the young woman’s family with a telephone call.