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profession of public service. The issue is really abuse of power. Plainly and simply.’
    ‘Doctor Crichton,’ the chair asked, ‘in your experience, why are women who are raped by footballers loath to report the matter to police?’
    Anya began by citing a case of a young waitress who had reported being raped by four footballers at an after-game function. ‘When I examined this woman, who had been brought into the sexual assault unit by police as per the protocol, she was in severe distress. She was crying, and seemed frightened of the players finding out she had told the police.’ Anya spoke more confidently, remembering every detail about the case. ‘The players were in a training camp, staying next door to where she worked. She was afraid they would be able to find her and assault her again, so she decided against giving a police statement. I had to respect her wishes and inform the police that she had changed her mind.’
    The bald senator seemed unimpressed. ‘Yes, well, it could also be that she had good reason to withdraw her complaint. Her distress could have been due to regret once she sobered up at participating in consensual sex with a number of men.’
    Senator Woodrow spoke next. ‘Doctor, was there any physical evidence to suggest the woman had been raped?’
    ‘Yes. The pattern of bruising on her wrists and upper arms suggested she was held by large hands, and purpuric bruises between her upper thighs were fresh and fist-sized. There was also a significant amount of vaginal bleeding and she had a tear that required eight stitches. I believe the physical evidence was consistent with the story she gave of violent, nonconsensual intercourse with a number of men.’
    ‘Why in heaven’s name wouldn’t she give a police statement?’
    Anya let out a deep breath. ‘The assault occurred not long after a woman who accused a rugby player of rape had been named on television and had had her past sexual history detailed in every media outlet. As it happened, the station that first named her owned broadcasting rights to that particular code of football.’
    Two of the committee members shook their heads either in disbelief or surprise.
    ‘In this case the woman was a single mother and she didn’t want her daughter to find out what had happened, but somehow the press got hold of the story. She ended up losing her job and going into hiding. She knew the players would claim the intercourse was consensual, so it would essentially be her word against theirs. She didn’t feel she could fight the four perpetrators, the rest of the team, the fans and the promoters.’
    Anya’s mouth and throat felt as dry as sandpaper. She took a sip of the water provided.
    ‘To be sure we are all clear on this,’ Nigel added. ‘What we’re all dealing with in these cases has absolutely nothing to do with sex. It is about abuse of power, a gross abuse. The only solution is to remove that power.’
    The bald senator seemed to take offence at this. ‘My concern is that you appear to be tainting entire sports on the basis of a few bad apples. Surely those apples can simply be identified and removed.’
    Nigel rubbed the top of his stick again. ‘Sir, with all due respect, it’s not a few apples that are rotten here, it’s the barrel itself.’
    An assistant handed the chair a note, and she covered her microphone before conferring with her colleagues. ‘I’d like to thank you, Doctor, Professor, for taking the time to meet with us today. We’ll take a twenty-minute recess before we resume.’
    Anya sat numbed by this dismissal. She had prepared so much more data on sexual assaults and had expected a deeper analysis of the issues. In addition, she had a presentation on the results of previous programmes designed to educate players in social skills,responsibility and behaviour. Being dismissed so quickly made her suspect the committee was not really interested in changing the current culture.
    ‘I think that went rather well,