Serena Williams Apologises For Saying Rape Victim 'Lucky'

Serena Williams has issued a qualified apology to the 16-year-old victim of an infamous US rape case after she was quoted implying that the girl bore some responsibility for the attack as she was drunk.

Telegraph - Williams, 31, made her initial comments after watching a television news report about the case during one of a series of interviews with a writer from magazine.

"Do you think it was fair, what they got?" Williams is quoted as saying. "They did something stupid, but I don't know.

"I'm not blaming the girl, but if you're a 16-year-old and you're drunk like that, your parents should teach you: don't take drinks from other people.

"She's 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn't remember? It could have been much worse. She's lucky. Obviously I don't know, maybe she wasn't a virgin, but she shouldn't have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that's different."

In a statement issued in response to the furore, the tennis star described the rape as "a horrible tragedy" for the families of the "rape victim and of the accused".