Peponis hints at legal action if players cleared

[ibeme]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/26/1082831473158.html

Peponis backs Bulldogs players
April 26, 2004 - 10:30AM

Bulldogs chairman George Peponis is confident players from his National Rugby League club will be cleared of sexual assault allegations.

And he foreshadowed possible legal action by the Bulldogs for damages suffered by the club following claims that up to six players were involved in sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a Coffs Harbour hotel following a pre-season trial match in February.

A final decision on whether charges will be laid against Bulldogs players may be made by the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions this week.

Following internal club investigations, Dr Peponis said he was confident the result would be favourable to the Bulldogs.

"I am quietly confident that our players will come out of this okay," he told ABC Radio.

"We've had a lot of evidence, a lot of investigations that we've conducted but we haven't been able to comment on those findings throughout all of this.

"I guess that's been the hardest thing, not being able to comment when you know certain facts to be either true or not true."

Dr Peponis said the Bulldogs would consider taking legal action to recoup some of the lost sponsorship following the assault allegations.

"We'll be looking at the way our club has been damaged," he said.

"We've lost $1.3 million worth of sponsorship.

"I guess it's a bit premature to start sort of jumping in and saying those sorts of statements (taking legal action) but we have to look at all our avenues because the club has been deeply hurt."

Former chief executive Steve Mortimer and football manager Garry Hughes are casualties of the allegations, with the former resigning and Hughes being sacked.

"It's been a big toll, our brand has been affected," Dr Peponis said.

"We have a lot of rebuilding to do."

 

[MadDogMason]

Have to wait and c ;-)

 

[Raider_69]

your kidding?
they lost sponsership for a reason
where theres no smoke, theres no fire
if they are cleared, move on but sueing for damages when
a) the cops were doing their jobs and
b) so where the media

 

[ibeme]

your kidding?
they lost sponsership for a reason
where theres no smoke, theres no fire
if they are cleared, move on but sueing for damages when
a) the cops were doing their jobs and
b) so where the media

If they were doing their jobs, they've got nothing to worry about. It's whether or not they've overstepped the mark. What if the girl's story is a complete fabrication? The early media reports had the players tried and convicted almost. What about the reports about the players behaviour, fighting and groping, which have since been proven wrong? Who's accountable for that? Where's the apology for getting it wrong?

 

[Rise Against]

ur kidding me raider 69

the media had it all over the papers as if they were already convicted. Its a farce and a half.

 

[russ13]

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Charges unlikely, detectives tell players
By Jacquelin Magnay and Les Kennedy
April 27, 2004

Bulldogs players have been told there is a 95 per cent chance they will be cleared of gang rape allegations made against them by a 20-year-old Coffs Harbour woman.

The players were told this three weeks ago by Strike Force McGuigon detectives.

The Canterbury rugby league club believes the players' version of events has been in part corroborated by two employees at the Pacific Bay Resort.

The Director of Public Prosecutions is due to give a directive in the next few days after the 10-week investigation.

Prominent Bulldog player Willie Mason told FOX Sports yesterday that "our consciences are clear" and that it had "been a big media thing".

The Herald has been told Bulldogs players insist there were just three players in the pool area at the time of the alleged assault and that the woman was having consensual sex with one player.

The other two were lying on sun lounges and have claimed they were aware of what was going on but did not participate.

A garbage collector and pool cleaner have told the club they witnessed a woman having what appeared to be oral sex in the pool in the early hours of February 22. One player has told police he had consensual sex with the woman.

The woman, who was taken to Coffs Harbour base hospital later that morning, claimed she had been raped by up to six players.

However some players were told by detectives earlier this month there was very little chance of charges being laid.

The club's chairman, George Peponis, and new chief executive, Malcolm Noad, have expressed hope and confidence the matter may end soon without charges.

Dr Peponis said yesterday he would not rest until the DPP decision was handed down. He foreshadowed legal action against some media outlets, saying the club had lost more than $1.3 million in sponsorships.

"For two months in a row we have copped a lot of flak, and some of it is unjustified," he said.

The club board has yet to formally question players about their behaviour in Coffs Harbour but will do so once the police investigation is completed.

"Only then can we work out what happened and take action," Dr Peponis said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery, QC, is expected to advise police by the end of the week whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute any players.

But police said yesterday they had nothing to indicate when Mr Cowdery would do so.

The commander of Strike Force McGuigon, Detective Chief Inspector Jason Breton, would not comment about the two new witnesses beleived to have come forward to dispute aspects of the victims' account.

It is understood the DPP will inform the victim - before the police - whether it intends to proceed with charges or abandon the case.


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/26/1082831502127.html

 

[MadDogMason]

If that is true than why are the players still playing like crap? It's Bizzare There still must be something on there concience...Should hear soon about the whole situation and hopefully it's all clear.Doggies should be fine and they will come out of this stage pumped and ready for revenge :twisted: :mrgreen:

 

[MadDogMason]

If that is true than why are the players still playing like crap? It's Bizzare There still must be something on there concience...Should hear soon about the whole situation and hopefully it's all clear.Doggies should be fine and they will come out of this stage pumped and ready for revenge :twisted: :mrgreen:

 

[Raider_69]

your kidding?
they lost sponsership for a reason
where theres no smoke, theres no fire
if they are cleared, move on but sueing for damages when
a) the cops were doing their jobs and
b) so where the media

If they were doing their jobs, they've got nothing to worry about. It's whether or not they've overstepped the mark. What if the girl's story is a complete fabrication? The early media reports had the players tried and convicted almost. What about the reports about the players behaviour, fighting and groping, which have since been proven wrong? Who's accountable for that? Where's the apology for getting it wrong?

An apolgy is about all they deserve, the medias job no longer involves printing facts, it invlves printing something that will sell

If the story was 100% completly made up then the bulldogs should be sueing the women who cooked up the plot, not the media who broke it out

Lets face facts at the start of investigations, the evidence that was known had the dogs players all but guilty, the media reported it that way
They may have over steped the mark as you said, but the sponsors didnt run away purely becasue of the media, the bulldogs have given themselves a bad name

 

[Dogs Of War]

Lets face facts at the start of investigations, the evidence that was known had the dogs players all but guilty, the media reported it that way
They may have over steped the mark as you said, but the sponsors didnt run away purely becasue of the media, the bulldogs have given themselves a bad name

How did the Bulldogs give themselves a bad name, they co-operated with the police, their were witnesses to the event, they believed they had nothing to worry about, but unfortunatly the papers who seen a big story descided to run with half-truths and the such. This cost the club major money. I'm sure the Dogs do have a leg to stand on as if you followed the story as it appeared, the media started to take a step backwards as more and more details appeared from the case, was this the relisation that 2+2 did not equal rape? I'm sure we will find out.


BTW Whoever was stupid enough to ignore the clubs rule regarding bringing back women to the team hotel deserves to get punted for being so stupid. They put those rules in place to stop these sorts of *allegations* from being able to eventuate after the events of last year. I hope the media report the whole story once the DPP releases their findings/investigation of the incident.

 

[Dogaholic]

your kidding?
they lost sponsership for a reason
where theres no smoke, theres no fire
if they are cleared, move on but sueing for damages when
a) the cops were doing their jobs and
b) so where the media

If they were doing their jobs, they've got nothing to worry about. It's whether or not they've overstepped the mark. What if the girl's story is a complete fabrication? The early media reports had the players tried and convicted almost. What about the reports about the players behaviour, fighting and groping, which have since been proven wrong? Who's accountable for that? Where's the apology for getting it wrong?

An apolgy is about all they deserve, the medias job no longer involves printing facts, it invlves printing something that will sell

If the story was 100% completly made up then the bulldogs should be sueing the women who cooked up the plot, not the media who broke it out

Lets face facts at the start of investigations, the evidence that was known had the dogs players all but guilty, the media reported it that way
They may have over steped the mark as you said, but the sponsors didnt run away purely becasue of the media, the bulldogs have given themselves a bad name

They shouldn't be publishing anything unless they have a source and are confident that the information is correct. They are not a Tabloid magazine. They report on news and have an obligation to it's readers that the news they report on is accurate.

 

[El Diablo]

If they don't charge themit doesn't necassarily mean they've been entirely cleared. The woman could go after them in a civil court.

Who are they going to sue anyway??

 

[Dogaholic]

The media.

Dogs of War does raise a good point.

Dogs Of War,
I'm sure the Dogs do have a leg to stand on as if you followed the story as it appeared, the media started to take a step backwards as more and more details appeared from the case, was this the relisation that 2+2 did not equal rape? I'm sure we will find out.

 

[ibeme]

It would depend on the DPP's findings as to whether she'd persist with civil action I'd think.

Peponis has implied that they've lost sponsors, and basically taken a big hit out of this because of the negative publicity. They'll explore what avenues are available for compensation, depending on the DPP's findings, but aren't committing themselves one way or the other. They'd be mad not to.

Some of the initial newspaper reports were condemning of the players but were completely wrong. That's not to mention those articles that sensationalised, outside of the facts, painting the alleged victim as a saint, and the players as evil scum. This was all done by venturing away from the facts and into story telling. These kinds of stories have a huge impact on public perception, and may have completely mis-led the public. It'd be nice if someone was accountable for this.

 

[[furrycat]]

Don't forget the articles in the NZ papers which named *two players*.

 

[El Diablo]

]Don't forget the articles in the NZ papers which named *two players*.

I think that article just named them as New Zealanders who played for Canterbury . That's how I read it anyway.

 

[Shifty]

When it goes wrong, blame media
By Mike Gibson
March 3, 2004

ONE of the safest bets in sport today is that when things go wrong, the explanation will be that it's all the fault of the media.

Take Mark Philippoussis.

Speaking in Dubai - where he got knocked out in the first round of the Dubai Open - the Poo announced that he had fled Australia because the media had driven him out.

Hello?

I thought it was Pat Cash who came out and rubbished him. I thought Cash was the creep who made the snide innuendo about Poo and his relationship with pop star Delta Goodrem.

But no.

The media is to blame. Those bastards from the press.

The Canterbury Bulldogs - yet again - are singing the same chorus.

Two years ago, when the salary cap scandal was revealed, it was all the fault of the media.

You're right, fellas. If the newspapers hadn't broken the story, who would have been any the wiser?

Now it's this sordid affair at Coffs Harbour.

True to form, the Bulldogs have attacked the media, declaring that by calling them rapists it has tarnished their reputations.

Reality check, guys.

It's not the media that called you rapists.

It was a 20-year-old woman who called you rapists. She told the police that she was raped by a group of Canterbury rugby league players.

Whether her version of events warrants charges being laid will be determined by a police investigation.

But she was found, sobbing, soaking wet and distraught, shortly after 8am.

She was taken to hospital by ambulance.

There, she was treated for distressing injuries suffered during her ordeal.

This was not the fault of the media.

What the media did was to report the aftermath to what happened, the events that preceded it, and what the woman alleged to have occurred.

The Bulldogs were given the opportunity to offer their response when they called a press conference two days later.

If this appalling episode makes unpleasant reading for the Canterbury club, so be it.

It makes unpleasant reading for all of us, particularly those who support rugby league and are horrified by the damage this has caused to a game that we love.

Tonight I will attend the launch of the NRL season at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, where CEO David Gallop will speak of the obligations that players and their clubs have to the game.

THE NRL is fortunate to have a boss of Gallop's calibre. He has proven himself to be a man who will make the tough decisions when it comes to protecting the code which he heads up.

If the police find there is sufficient evidence for these players to be charged, the law will judge whether they are guilty or not.

But regardless of the outcome of this police inquiry, events of that disgraceful weekend at Coffs Harbour reveal that the Bulldogs are a club out of control.

The NRL must act.

Players who have blackened the name of the game should be thrown out of it.

Officials who were supposed to be responsible on that disgusting weekend should be given the sack.

Rugby league fans won't desert the code, providing they can see that the NRL will not tolerate those players who degrade the game, or those officials who shirk their obligation to eradicate this element from their club.

Nothing less will suffice.

Rugby league is too great a game, and too many good people have played it, supported it, and worked hard for it, for a few grubs to drag it all down.

The Daily Telegraph

Stong words.

 

[Shifty]

I have read a number of newspaper articles over the past 10 days and feel that it is my responsibility to let you know, in the light of your independent investigation, that from my observations and discussions with staff and security personnel at the Hotel, the reports, so far as they relate to the players behaviour at the Hotel, are thoroughly incorrect.

I was so disappointed with the innaccuracies of the reporting that on Tuesday last, I phoned the journalist responsible for the report in the Sydney Morning Herald of that day, to inform her of the inaccuracies contained in the article. I left a contact number and gave the reason for my telephone contact, but I have not received a reply. It occurred to me, suffice to say that the journalist might not have been all that interested in the truth of the matter.

Letter dated 5 March 2004.

Harry Barry
Licensee
Plantation Hotel Coffs Harbour

 

[Foz]

How would Steve Mortimer be feeling right now? :roll: :roll: :roll:
Talk about raw deals.

 

[[furrycat]]

Yeah... but I think he handled things a little bad over the allegations.