Bryan Fletcher Rape Case, Wife Defends

Former NRL player Bryan Fletcher, who has been tarnished by an alleged rape case by companions of his several years ago. The Police integrity hearing over the dead matter continues, as Fletcher and his family are dragged through the mud as the hearing details come to the fore front.

Fletchers wife is standing by him, despite sex allegations aired in the Police Integrity Commission.

It was alleged last week that Fletcher, 33, a former Roosters star and Rabbitohs captain, had received oral sex from a Finnish woman in the front garden of a home where the woman was later allegedly gang raped.

The commission is inquiring into whether there was police misconduct or criminal activity in connection with the investigation of the alleged rape in November 2004. No charges were laid and the woman has returned to Finland.

As Fletcher prepared to take the field for the Wigan Warriors against the Harlequins in Middlesex, England, yesterday, his wife, Britt, was on holiday in Brazil. A source said Fletcher was hopeful the marriage would survive the explosive allegations.

Fletcher's manager, Steve Gillis, said yesterday: "I spoke to Bryan this morning and he is obviously concerned with the developments of the week.

"He is concerned that he is being implicated with some wrongdoing. Any suggestion that he has done something wrong is totally untrue. He does not want to make any further comment at this stage, as he is preparing for a game."

The Fletchers and their two children moved to England 18 months ago when Fletcher signed a two-year contract with Wigan.

Fletcher was drawn into the PIC inquiry after it was disclosed that he had socialised with a Finnish backpacker before she was allegedly raped by up to eight men.

Superintendent Adam Purcell told the inquiry that he had chosen to deal with Fletcher personally to prevent the story leaking to the media, and that Fletcher was not involved in the alleged rapes.

The commission was told that the alleged victim had performed oral sex on Fletcher before having sex with the man believed to have orchestrated the alleged rape (codenamed Mal 12) and his brother (Mal 13) inside the house. When she withdrew her consent, Fletcher left, Superintendent Purcell said.

He said Mal 12 had told him Fletcher was watching Mal 12 and Mal 13 having sex with the woman "[be]cause he had already got the head job" and then "he ran away, ran away, ran home ... Bryan's ran off like a f---in' startled rabbit".

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