Women Are the 'Weaker Sex' and Good Liars, Says Rape Case Lawyer
Lauren Messman
Apr 21 2017, 11:31am
"Smart people will see it for what it is," he said about his comments later.
On Thursday, a jury of 11 women and three men heard the closing arguments to a rape case involving wealthy Memphis businessman Mark Giannini. In his closing remarks, Giannini's attorney, Steve Farese, wrapped up his argument by reminding the jury that women are really good liars because they are the "weaker sex."
"There's always a reason behind the lie. People can be very good at lying," Farese said Thursday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. "Women can be especially good at it because they're the weaker sex...That's what the books say. And we want to protect them and not have anybody take advantage of them, at least I do."
Farese's client, Giannini, is a multimillionaire who's been accused of raping three different women since 2002. At Giannini's bail hearing in February, Farese reportedly called one accuser a porn star and the other a prostitute, according to WREG Memphis.
The accuser in this week's trial testified that Giannini had choked and raped her after she had gone to his home for a job interview. According to Commercial Appeal, the testimony was so graphic that many news outlets weren't even able to publish it.
"My job is not to care if anybody gets offended," Farese told the Commercial Appeal after his statements Thursday. "Smart people will see it for what it is."
But Deborah Club, the executive director of the Memphis Area Women's Council, saw Farese's comments as "despicable."
"He stood in front of 11 women on a jury and said women are liars? That just doesn't even make the first bit of sense and it's despicable. Doesn't even sound like professional strategy for an attorney," she told the Commercial Appeal. "What we wear, where we are, whether we are drunk, is not the reason for rape. Rape happens because men rape... And it's wrong. It's a crime."
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/women-are-the-weaker-sex-and-good-liars-says-rape-case-lawyer?utm_source=vicefbus
Lauren Messman
Apr 21 2017, 11:31am
"Smart people will see it for what it is," he said about his comments later.
On Thursday, a jury of 11 women and three men heard the closing arguments to a rape case involving wealthy Memphis businessman Mark Giannini. In his closing remarks, Giannini's attorney, Steve Farese, wrapped up his argument by reminding the jury that women are really good liars because they are the "weaker sex."
"There's always a reason behind the lie. People can be very good at lying," Farese said Thursday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. "Women can be especially good at it because they're the weaker sex...That's what the books say. And we want to protect them and not have anybody take advantage of them, at least I do."
Farese's client, Giannini, is a multimillionaire who's been accused of raping three different women since 2002. At Giannini's bail hearing in February, Farese reportedly called one accuser a porn star and the other a prostitute, according to WREG Memphis.
The accuser in this week's trial testified that Giannini had choked and raped her after she had gone to his home for a job interview. According to Commercial Appeal, the testimony was so graphic that many news outlets weren't even able to publish it.
"My job is not to care if anybody gets offended," Farese told the Commercial Appeal after his statements Thursday. "Smart people will see it for what it is."
But Deborah Club, the executive director of the Memphis Area Women's Council, saw Farese's comments as "despicable."
"He stood in front of 11 women on a jury and said women are liars? That just doesn't even make the first bit of sense and it's despicable. Doesn't even sound like professional strategy for an attorney," she told the Commercial Appeal. "What we wear, where we are, whether we are drunk, is not the reason for rape. Rape happens because men rape... And it's wrong. It's a crime."
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/women-are-the-weaker-sex-and-good-liars-says-rape-case-lawyer?utm_source=vicefbus
