On Friday, a rich Tennessee businessman was found not guilty in a rape trial, and while the verdict itself had many people up in arms, it was the comments made by his attorney during his closing statements that truly caused an uproar.
Steve Farese was representing the 51-year-old Mark Giannini, who was charged with raping a 25-year-old woman who had come to clean his house by drugging her while she was there.
During his closing statement, Farese said, “There’s always a reason behind a lie. People can be very good at lying. Women can be especially good at it because they’re the weaker sex and we, that’s what the books say, and we want to protect them and not have anyone take advantage of them. At least I do.”
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The comments prompted immediate outrage, with Memphis Area Women’s Council executive director Deborah Clubb saying that they were “absolutely despicable.”
Local newspaper The Commercial Appeal reported that after the jury came back with a verdict of not guilty, the woman accusing Giannini “left crying and screaming.”
Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich praised the woman for her bravery in coming forward and stated that she hoped the outcome, which she said she was “deeply disappointed” by, would not dissuade other women from doing the same.
Giannini has two other rape cases against him that are still pending.
