George Burgess sexual touching accuser hounded by online trolls
The woman who accused NRL player George Burgess of sexual touching her without consent has revealed she has been called a “money-hungry sl*t” and “b**ch” among other things as she cops severe online abuse.
NSW
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The woman who has accused St George Illawarra Dragons player George Burgess of sexual touching without consent says she feels under attack from the public for reporting the matter to police and understands why women would think twice about coming forward.
After her report of the alleged touching to the police became public, the woman says she copped abuse and nasty online comments, forcing her to shut down her social media.
“I’m just heartbroken that people can be so cruel, I feel isolated,” she told The Saturday Telegraph.
“Although coming out publicly is terrifying I am speaking for women who are not strong enough to face coming out.
“One online comment from a woman even said ‘She should be named and shamed, if his name gets dragged through the mud, so should hers’. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” the woman said.
“So many other comments from me wanting to cash in on the Burgess name or get my five minutes of fame.
“One guy even said I’m wanting a payout to redo my kitchen. The comments are absolutely vile, being called a money-hungry slut, a whore, a bitch, every name under the sun.”
Burgess this week pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual touching and his lawyer indicated he will vigorously defend the matter in court.
Police will allege the sexual touching without consent took place when Burgess delivered a signed jersey to the woman’s Sydney home where they engaged in friendly conversation and a cup of tea.
“I had just lost someone close to cancer so when there was an opportunity to raise money for cancer, I jumped at it. I reached out to a bunch of players I knew — George and Thomas Burgess included, asking if we could get a signed jersey to auction off,” the woman said.
“All I was trying to do was get a signed jersey to raise money for cancer.
“I wasn’t partying with the boys, it wasn’t a booze-filled night.”
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, says she was reluctant to report the alleged touching because she didn’t want to be identified publicly and vilified in the media.
She said the fact that she had known the Burgess brothers socially for 10 years was being used online to discredit her.
“It’s gotten back to me that the smoking gun the high-profile defence is going to try to use to discredit me is that I was intimate with Thomas over 10 years ago. We were both single people back then, both consenting, and that I hung out with Sam a few years ago because he lived one street away and I was a sympathetic ear,” she said.
“I sat and listened to him talk about the pain he was enduring.”
She urged people who judge her to think again.
The woman said she regretted ever reaching out to the Burgess family to try to raise money for a cancer charity.
She said that irrespective of the past, people were now trying to slut-shame and discredit her.
The Telegraph understands police will allege Burgess made unwanted advances towards the woman. Burgess denies the claims.
They will allege the woman kept brushing off the advances.
Minutes after leaving, it will be alleged Burgess sent the woman the purple horny devil emoji.
“I didn’t know what to do or how to move forward but I decided to send him a message the next day saying that what happened was inappropriate,” she said.
Police will allege Burgess responded and the content of his messages will likely be tendered as evidence to the court.
A week later the woman reported what she claims was an “uncomfortable and unwanted” exchange to the police.
“I don’t even want to be at home anymore, I feel uncomfortable in the one place that’s supposed to be my safe haven.”
The woman says she feels isolated, having to deactivate her social media for fear of abuse and to stop herself from reading the nasty comments.
Burgess was not required to appear at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday when his lawyer Bryan Wrench told the court “there is a significant dispute about what happened”.
The matter was adjourned for the police to provide the brief of evidence on June 8.
Originally published as George Burgess sexual touching accuser hounded by online trolls
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