An alleged sexual assault on a male teenager with a beer bottle was "just a prank" that's been blown out of proportion by the media, says a lawyer for two of the men charged.
Four Brisbane men aged 19 to 21, including two aspiring Australian rules footballers, have been charged with rape over the January 26 incident.
Defence lawyer Eugene O'Sullivan is representing two of the men and complained at a court mention that they had been subjected to "trial by media" over the "prank".
"It's a Jackass type of thing ... there's no rape, it's a simulated rape," Mr O'Sullivan told a Brisbane magistrate on Monday.
"There's no reason why this should have any press coverage which is adverse to these four boys, because it's just silly.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"It should be handled in a proper way by the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions), and it should be mediated and it should be dismissed.
"It's just a prank. There's no rape involved. No bottle went through this bloke's anus."
Police allege the 19-year-old victim was raped with a glass bottle while passed out at an Australia Day party in Kedron, in Brisbane's north.
He only found out about it after a video of the alleged assault was uploaded to Facebook.
Three of the men faced court on Monday.
The fourth appeared last week when Mr O'Sullivan made a failed bid to have bail conditions banning the men from having contact relaxed to accommodate their football training schedule.
None have entered a plea.
Their bail was continued and their cases adjourned until November 30.
