The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office last week dropped domestic violence and rape charges against a Dukes County corrections officer. 

Prosecutors on Friday decided to not move forward with the charges against Craig A. Daley, who had been accused of assaulting and raping a woman in 2024. The decision was based on the alleged victim’s inability “to participate in the prosecution,” district attorney Robert Galibois wrote in a filing with Edgartown District Court. 

Mr. Daley, 44,  pleaded not guilty in December and was placed on leave by the sheriff’s office. His attorney on Tuesday praised the prosecutor’s decision.

“Mr. Daley is grateful for the diligence of the prosecutors in the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office who, after looking at all the facts and circumstances, came to the conclusion that the continued prosecution of Craig on these spurious allegations was not in the interest of justice,” attorney Robert Moriarty said in a statement. “All too often, there is a rush to judgment in these cases once the person is arraigned and his name appears in the paper. That happened to Craig, and Craig’s reputation will never fully recover because of it.”

Police arrested Mr. Daley at his home in Edgartown on Dec. 8. Police declined to give details on the case, citing state laws that shield the release of reports on rape and domestic violence. 

According to court documents, the alleged offenses took place in August and September 2024. Mr. Daley allegedly engaged in a “pattern of coercive action and control” against the victim, the assistant district attorney said at a hearing. The woman was from Jamaica and had been in a relationship with Mr. Daley. 

Mr. Moriarty previously claimed that the woman made the charges up and that Mr. Daley had an alibi for the day of the alleged rape. 

The Dukes County Sheriff’s Office had placed Mr. Daley on leave in light of the arrest. He is still out on leave while the department conducts its own internal investigation, according to Mr. Moriarty. 

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed its investigation was pending and declined to comment.