Joanne Lees wore a "cheeky monkey" t shirt because all her clothes were in the camper van her attempted rapist had driven away, and she had to borrow something quickly, as her own outfit was undergoing DNA testing, and outback hick towns in the Northern Territory don't often stock slickly smart casual attire at 8 am. That was what she was lent, and it was a bit too small because that was all the police could grab at short notice, and with other priorities - including guarding her as the surviving witness to a presumed murder. Good enough reason? Or should she have said, "oh, I need something more 'grieving widow' for my press conference, please!" I note she then gets slammed for wearing smart clothes to the trial - so, slammed for overly casual, then for overly smart. Could the media please publish a Glenda Slag's Approved Outfits For Harlots In The Public Eye, to avoid such difficulties in future? Sure Jan Moir would oblige.
The media decided Lees was guilty and stitched her up like a kipper, IMO, mainly because she wouldn't sodding cooperate and sob attractively in easily digestible soundbites. (Luckily for her the police solidly backed her - Lindy Chamberlain was less fortunate.) Then oops! A bloke exactly matching her description was caught, with a mother and kid who he was holding captive, and was charged with their rape. Then they decided to extradite him up to the Northern Territory to face the murder charges, instead. Because his DNA matched that found on Lees' clothes (making that cheeky monkey tee worthwhile, after all). So: same car, same face/hair, same DNA, history of sexual violence, in the area at the time. Lees was a victim of a horrific crime, and yet the media, instead of grovelling over their nasty mistake, are still kicking her. Nice.
Lees' treatment shames the journalistic profession, and the defensive blaming the victim that continues to this day isn't a lot better. And yep, Rachel Nickell's partner wrote a book as well - he had a child to raise who needed near constant attention, and he had to feed and clothe him, too. Why shouldn't Handscombe and Lees write their stories? Because they deprived the press of the chance of profiting from their suffering, instead?
I remember the police being certain about Colin Stagg, and Rachel Nickell's family implicitly believing them. Handscombe apparently wrote to apologise to Stagg recently, explaining that the police led him to believe Stagg'd got away with murder. So police certainty on the Italian case isn't enough for me, by itself. I don't know whether Knox is guilty or not, or what she's like, but whether she is pleasant or vile isn't any guide to her guilt or otherwise. All I know is that I am desperately sorry for Kercher's family. Imagine your beautiful, talented daughter setting off on a big adventure, and not only dying, but without the consolation that it was swift or without much pain. A friend's brother was killed one holiday - drunk, fell off the hotel balcony - and that was bad enough, but Meredith's parents' suffering defies comprehension. A real Calvary. It's awful, too, that the trial has turned into a soap opera. Really disrespectful to Meredith Kercher's memory, and the media again have been really horrendous - leaking a video of the crime scene, with the poor girl's body visible, onto television, is unspeakably low. I hope people were fired over that.