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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