Populist 5-Star Movement (M5S)
founder and stand-up comic Beppe Grillo's defence of his son
over a charge of raping a girl with two other young men is
"repugnant" because it allegedly blames the victim, the girl's
family said Tuesday.
Grillo on Monday posted a video saying his son was innocent and
that the alleged victim had gone kitesurfing after the alleged
assault and waited eight days to report it.
"We are distraught. The attempt to put on a show at the expense
of others is a repugnant farce," said the girl's family.
Rival political parties accused Grillo of having a double
standard on justice.
The natonalist League party, whose leader Matteo Salvini was
sent to truial Saturday on charges of kidnapping migrants with a
closed-ports policy while interior minister, said "Grillo
defends defendants' rights when it suits him. On Saturday he
said Salvini was guilty, and on Monday his kid is innocent".
The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) said "you can't blame the
victim".
In the video Monday Grillo said "my son has done nothing, arrest
me instead of him".
Many commentators accused the M5S founder of pre-empting justice
and said he should wait for the Italian judicial system to run
its course.
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