The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon will no longer face a rape charge in his ongoing sexual assault case — though he will still face a charge of strangulation, Manhattan prosecutors said in court Monday.
Prosecutors were no longer charging Abraham Chabon, 22, with first-degree rape because prosecutors “cannot prove that charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Rosenfeld said.
Prosecutors said that although they fully credit the surviving victim, they dropped the charge due to limitations in New York state law before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Kacie Lally.
Abraham Chabon (right) appears in court with his attorney, Isabelle Kirshner. Steven HirschChabon is still charged with strangulation and could potentially face additional charges including assault in the third degree, according to prosecutors.
His attorney, Isabelle Kirshner, said outside court that she was pleased that prosecutors dismissed the rape count as it couldn’t be “sustained.”
“We are grateful that the DA’s Office has chosen to carefully scrutinize the evidence in this matter and to dismiss a charge that could not be sustained,” Kirshner said. “We are hopeful that the process will continue and the matter will be resolved appropriately.”
Chabon is the son of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon and author Ayelet Waldman. Steven HirschChabon, a student at NYU, was initially charged on June 12 with first-degree rape and second-degree strangulation in the alleged Jan. 25, 2024, attack, in which prosecutors said he choked and beat a woman while molesting her on East 12th Street.
Prosecutors had claimed that Chabon grabbed the victim’s neck, obstructed her breathing, and then carried her to a bed, where he allegedly raped her and struck the victim “repeatedly in the face.”
The younger Chabon’s father is a celebrated American author who wrote the novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001.
Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman. Getty ImagesHe is also known for other works including “Wonder Boys,” “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” “Moonglow” and “Telegraph Avenue.”
Abraham Chabon was released on $45,000 bail after his arraignment on June 13.
He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison and up to seven years behind bars if convicted on the strangulation charge.
He’s due back in court on November 20.
