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FIGHTER, July 1968, Sakurai

and now ...

His third front page in a month. Again, Lionel Rose brings boxing under the glare of 1.5 million readers in Australia's biggest daily newspaper, the Melbourne Herald Sun.

Wednesday, 27 October, 2004. Excerpts:

1. Rose was in a car crash after drinking in a Drouin hotel. Rose admitted later he had been driving without a licence. Police are investigating whether alcohol was involved.

2. ..Rose demanded 10 free tickets to the Hall of Fame induction, for friends and family, and refused to attend when his request was declined.

Now, 3. Boxing legend Lionel Rose has been interviewed by police over a girl's claim he sexually abused her when she was 11.

The girl's family yesterday sought an intervention order to keep Mr Rose away from the girl and her mother.

The application followed a confrontation that allegedly forced the family to flee their home and spend Monday night in emergency police accommodation.

The confrontation follows two weeks of investigations by the Herald Sun into the sexual abuse claim. Mr Rose refused repeated invitations by the Herald Sun over the past week to respond to the allegation.

In a videotaped interview, the girl told police she locked herself in her bedroom and cried herself to sleep after the alleged incident in late 2001.

The Herald Sun has chosen not to publish details of what is alleged to have happened, because of its graphic nature.

The girl [now 14] alleged that when she tried to get away, the former world boxing champion grabbed her and forced her to continue.
She said Rose gave her $5 the next morning, but did not mention the alleged incident.

Police said Mr Rose denied any wrongdoing when interviewed last year.

Rose, approached by the Herald Sun on Sunday, said, 'Don't know who you are talking about, mate.'

The girl's father said only the legal system prevented his family and friends from exacting Aboriginal justice from Mr Rose.

'If we had our way we would truss him up and do to him' [what the girl said he did to her], the father said.

The girl said she cannot see why Mr Rose has gone unpunished.
'Why would I make up something like that?' she said.

'He made me feel disgusted. I hate him. I wish he was dead. I wish he was locked up.'

Fighter Online notes there has been NO police charge.
We believe the Herald Sun published only after close research by reputable reporter, CRAIG BINNIE, and after Monday night brought an intervention application.