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in comparison with scores of two percent for the swimmers and four percent for the tennis players. The university students were unable to recognise sexual assault in fourteen percent of the scenarios. In contrast, ninety-eight percent of all participants correctly identified a man being sexually assaulted.’
    ‘So what you’re suggesting,’ Senator Woodrow summarised, ‘is that more than two-thirds of male footballers are incapable of determining what constitutes rape of a woman?’
    ‘From our data, that appears to be the case.’
    One of the male senators rubbed his forehead. ‘Does this suggest that these men are potential rapists, who refuse to take “no” for an answer?’
    Nigel lifted his head but remained quiet. The public gallery behind erupted into protestations.
    ‘No,’ Anya raised her voice to dispel the suggestion. ‘We are not alleging that. All we can conclude is that a higher percentage of footballers, when compared with men from other sports, were unable to recognise when a sexual assault took place.’
    An older, bald senator wearing small spectacles shifted in his seat. ‘I’m sorry but I find that difficult to believe. Claiming sexual assault is easy, but there are always two sides to every story. By what standard could you unequivocally state that rape had occurred in these scenarios?’
    ‘The woman in each dramatisation had not consented to the sexual act, was clearly distressed and immediately sought medical attention. When the scenarios were presented to a series of prosecutors, there was unanimous agreement that each woman had been sexually assaulted as defined by the law.’
    The other female senator, a former champion swimmer, sat forward. ‘Do you have any possible explanations for the significant differences in results from tennis and swimming participants? All were elite athletes at the top of their game, with, I assume, endorsements or salary packages that generously rewarded their level of skill.’
    Nigel replied this time. He must have decided to put Anya out of her misery. ‘I believe the results are telling in a number of ways. Tennis and swimming aren’t really team sports. Medley and relay teams, and doubles in Davis Cup or the Olympics, are not comparable to a team of eleven or more males who bond, train, eat and play together. A totally different culture is created in that environment, one in which pack mentality becomes the norm.’
    The bald man tugged on an earlobe. ‘So, by implication, teams of men working closely together in a combative situation are more likely to abuse women. I find this insulting to our boys in the military who lay their lives on the line to defend this country. They are highly trained, eat, sleep and work together, and are dependent on every other man in their unit to survive. And yet we don’t see these men raping women. I believe your analysis of men in teams and sexual abuse is absurd.’
    Anya felt her stomach lurch. This was the part where she and Nigel were both publicly humiliated and their professional reputations tarnished by an ultraconservative who was merely looking to win political points. He would probably be given a private box at the next NRL Grand Final for his trouble.
    Professor Everett nodded patiently. ‘Perhaps I have not made myself clear enough. This is not merely about men in groups. It is about men with money, celebrity and physical strength who are enabled by the administrators and sponsors of the sports they represent. Men in the military do not enjoy any such privilege, at least not in my country.’
    This comment amused the public gallery. Anya turned and suddenly caught a glimpse of the man who had tried to protecther and Hannah outside the court the previous day. Suddenly, she felt even more uncomfortable. What was he doing here?
    Meanwhile, Nigel had everyone in the room hanging on his every word. ‘To put it another way, Senator, this alarming trend is something you have perhaps witnessed in your chosen