Meredith Watson’s Attorney Says Fairfax Knew About Her Previous Rape So He Allegedly Raped Her Again

Meredith Watson’s attorneys are clarifying facts about their client’s assertion that she was raped by Justin Fairfax at Duke University.

Fairfax allegedly cited Watson’s previous alleged rape by a Duke basketball player as the impetus for his alleged rape of Watson at a college party — because he figured she would stay quiet.

Here is what Watson’s attorney Nancy Erika Smith stated.

“We have heard from numerous press sources that in response to Meredith Watson revealing that Justin Fairfax raped her when she was a student at Duke, Mr. Fairfax has chosen to attack his victim again, now smearing her with the typical “she’s nuts” defense. He revealed that Ms. Watson was the victim of a prior rape. That is true. Ms. Watson was raped by a basketball player during her sophomore year at Duke. She went to the Dean, who provided no help and discouraged her from pursuing the claim further,” Smith stated.

“Ms. Watson also told friends, including Justin Fairfax. Mr. Fairfax then used this prior assault against Ms. Watson, as he explained to her during the only encounter she had with him after the rape. She left a campus party when he arrived, and he followed her out. She turned and asked: “Why did you do it?” Mr. Fairfax answered: “I knew that because of what happened to you last year, you’d be too afraid to say anything.” Mr. Fairfax actually used the prior rape of his “friend” against her when he chose to rape her in a premeditated way. Like he is smearing Dr. Vanessa Tyson, Mr. Fairfax is now smearing Ms. Watson. That’s shameful. The smears on victims of sexual assault have to stop. Why would any woman come forward with information about a powerful man knowing that he and his supporters will stop at nothing to smear and discredit them? Women come forward to support one another and to stop the culture of rape that is even more pervasive than we acknowledge,” Smith stated.

Watson’s rape claim against a former Duke basketball player is now being investigated, and coach Mike Krzyzewski has acknowledged the seriousness of the matter.

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