Professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev will not face domestic violence charges after he was arrested in California, US authorities have confirmed. The former Strictly Come Dancing star was booked into Napa County Jail in July. The 42-year-old Russian professional dancer joined series eight of Strictly in 2010, winning that year with celebrity partner Kara Tointon, whom he dated for several years after the show.
Napa County District Attorney, Allison Haley, said that after a "thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence", charges will not be bought against Chigvintsev. "While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence," Ms Haley said in a statement. "We are required to prove any and every criminal charge 'beyond a reasonable doubt' which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system.
"If the available evidence doesn't rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges." Haley noted that the the district attorney's office “may revisit the case if it learns of other incidents or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known.” Online jail records said Chigvintsev was arrested under section 273.
5(a) of the California penal code - corporal injury to spouse. The section covers traumatic injury to a current or former spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent in an act of domestic violence..