Pitcairn's women stand by accused men

Half the men on remote Pitcairn Island, which is populated by descendants of the Bounty mutineers, go on trial tomorrow for a string of alleged sex attacks dating back up to 40 years.

But a group of women on the Pacific island came to the defence of the seven charged men at a meeting today, claiming the cases have been blown out of proportion and that the victims may have been coerced into testifying.