Trial By Media
‘IF yesterday’s News Of The World was appearing for the defence of the footballers accused of gang raping a 17-year-old girl, this morning’s papers are outlining the prosecution case.
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| Nicholas Meikle claims the girl was a willing participant |
Through them, the victim of the alleged attack angrily denies claims that she consented to take part in an orgy and insists she will have her day in court.
Publicist Max Clifford said the girl was ‘utterly devastated’ by claims in yesterday’s NOTW that she willingly had sex with four men, including Nicolas Meikle, a celebrity party organiser.
Meikle, who this morning tells the Sun that he stands by his story ‘1,000 per cent’, insisted that the sordid practice of ‘roasting’, where a group of men all have sex with the same woman, was common among Premiership stars.
‘The more I’ve moved around with footballers, the more I’ve seen they just share their girls round,’ he said.
But Clifford tells the Mirror: ‘She consented to sex with one person. She is sobbing her heart out.’
And she insists on the front page of the Star that the men are ‘rapists AND liars’ – and said that all she wanted was justice and the truth to come out.
However, with the case being fought daily in the papers, one wonders whether it will ever actually reach court.
One man who has already been ‘acquitted’ is Newcastle winger Kieron Dyer, who booked the room in the Grosvenor Hotel where the attack is alleged to have happened.
‘Not only did Kieron do nothing wrong, he wasn’t there at any stage with the girl,’ Meikle said. ‘I feel so sorry for him.’
It is not a feeling shared by Newcastle fans who are fed-up with Dyer’s party lifestyle.
‘The sensible players got on a plane after the game and came home,’ Frank Gilmore, of the Independent Supporters’ Club, tells the Star.
‘Dyer booked an expensive hotel room and went around the nightspots. That’s the difference.’
Meanwhile, the Mirror spots three of the Premiership stars at the centre of the allegations meet up in a café to discuss yesterday’s NOTW story.
Two refused to comment on the claims, while the third denied being at the hotel.
The trial by media continues.’
Posted: 6th, October 2003 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
