Everyone seems to be basing their defence on the girl who was paid to come forward that Channel 9found to try to defend Johns. She was not a very credible witness. She hardly knew her and she is in a country in which rugby was a religion. The girl might have tried to talk to her about the incident and she laughed it off. I would like 4 corners to interview her.
Johns said he was always scared of someone like 4 corners looking into this and obviously seriously regrets the incident. With all the evidence it is a bit much too say she was a slut and deserved what she got as some insinuate.
People are basically good but can make poor decisions. She was gang banged. She went to the police but the club closed around itself as clubs do so she couldn't get justice. She hid her identity and spoke to 4 corners after they chased her for no personal gain.
I can't believe the attitude of many people here. Those men have a lot to answer for.
FYI Knobby :
"She just did nothing but tell all the staff what a great night she had ... and to put it quite crudely... that she had the whole team in bed with her."
But rape crisis counsellors say that doesn't mean she wasn't a victim, arguing that she could have initially been in shock.
Dr Kim McGregor said, "Sometimes a rape survivor might think she was to blame and that she brought it upon herself."
."
This article is well written and I agree with it.
One moment caught my ear. Johns' wife Trish sat with him throughout the tense interview. Asked by Grimshaw what she thought of Clare, she replied, not immediately: "I certainly wouldn't like it to be my daughter."
This was ambiguous. Did she mean: "I wouldn't like it to be my daughter (who behaved like that)?" Or did she mean: "I wouldn't like it to be my daughter (who was caught in such a terrible position)?"
But she did go to the police five days later; no one goes to the police frivolously.
Rape victims don't brag with relish about the great time they had with the person or people who supposedly raped them.
And according to the girls boss and her work colleagues, she spent days on end doing exactly that - bragging with relish about her exploits with Johns & Co.
Seems highly likely that she participated just as eagerly as the blokes did, despite her claims to the contrary.
And then went to the police and then proceeded with her breakdown.
15 years ago I used to work with a very high profile AFL player. Couldn't wait for Monday mornings at work to get the low down on his/their exploits on the weekend. This sought of thing has been going on for decades. There are females out there who are effectivly AFL/NRL/NBL groupies who want to get into group sex with a few fine bodied athletes. Until you get rid of the groupies you'll always have this sought of problem within the sport. I actually feal sorry for MJ in all this and think it was absolutely disgusting what channel 9 did to one of it's own employees. Shame channel 9 shame.
No, She never said she consented to any sex act. With anyone. As for your other posts Cordelia, whether or not you are male or female, quite obviously you have never experienced the situation of being a female in a group of 12 'mates' who are drunk and out for their turn. You know nothing of the feeling of powerlessness, vulnerability and terror that such a situation involves.
My argument is that fundamentally, regardless of whether a woman is drunk, sexily dressed, with one man or two, she is not consenting to sex. Just as a man, who is drunk, sexily dressed, with one man or two, is not consenting to sex. And that is the bottom line.
Metric, why are you so hung up on sheep?
Those of us who thought the Four Corners program would damage the Rugby League image, have badly misjudged the mentality of RL supporters. It's just ho-hum stuff to them.
Hordes of supporters have flooded web face pages with the support of Matthew Johns.
And this morning it is reported that this weekend gate attendances and TV audiences for the League have substantially increased.
In the whole of this thread I don't recall anyone condoning the behaviour of either the players or the girl...
And now, as predicted, another story erupts:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25493261-1248,00.html
And the first paragraph of how stuff like this escalates should resonate with what I have said above.
This case probably would not have been successfully prosecuted in court. Because of the timing and lack of corroborative evidence. But she would certainly have been given the courtesy of being considered as a victim, even though her behaviour at the beginning did put her in a situation where consent or otherwise to the first two men was difficult to establish. That is a 'he said-she said' situation.
Do not assume that because no charges were laid, that a crime did not occur.
And now, as predicted, another story erupts:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25493261-1248,00.html
And the first paragraph of how stuff like this escalates should resonate with what I have said above.
The police happily accepted the trio's mobile phone films as evidence that it was consensual, although they probably filmed it for bragging rights.
IMO the reason this case could never progress would have certainly been the statements of her workmates= Case Closed. (would that not kill the case stone dead, Prospector?
No, it is all hearsay which is inadmissable in court. It would however be a part of the decision making as to the witness and the ability of the prosecution to prove its case. One thing that isnt widely known is that many cases simply dont go to court, not because the police dont think a crime has been committed, but they just cant get that vital piece of evidence that clinches the case for them. Police and Prosecution actually go through every case before deciding to go to Court, and if there is not almost definite agreement that the offender will be found guilty (say 90% or thereabouts) then they will not proceed. .
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