MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Well known Memphis area attorney Steve Farese is under fire for comments he made during a rape trial.
During closing statements for the Mark Giannini rape trial 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.”
The jury is made up of nine women and three men.
Memphis Area Women’s Council executive director Deborah Clubb calls Farese’s comments “absolutely despicable.”
The comment is getting a lot of attention on social media.
One person tweeted, “What a despicable thing to say. Steve Farese – you are a disgusting person.”
Dana Brolley tweeted, This is disgusting, misogynistic, sexist behavior.”
Giannini is charged with raping a woman who came to his home for a job interview in 2014.
The 25-year-old woman told police she was drugged and raped at Giannini’s home when she was hired to clean his home in June of 2014.
He owned an information technology firm at the time of the attack.
He was also on the board for the Boys and Girls Club, the Memphis Botanic Garden and the Memphis Chamber of Commerce.
Giannini is facing charges for two other rapes dating back to 2002, but the trial that begins Tuesday only covers the 2014 case.
Detectives searched Giannini’s house and found drugs, guns, and other evidence from one of the alleged rapes.
When arrested he was found with his passport, a small contact case with Viagra and a large sum of cash according to police.
https://twitter.com/MsBooWho/status/855444010374180866
This is disgusting, misogynistic, sexist behavior.https://t.co/nG7C95CqZb… https://t.co/Q4rp6rbtvt
— Dana Brolley (@DanaBrolley) April 21, 2017
