This critical discourse analysis explores print and online news reporting of the case of ‘Kings Cross Nightclub Rapist Luke Lazarus’, who in March 2015 was convicted of raping a female club-goer in Sydney, Australia. It examines the journalism discursive practices used in the production of the news reports about the Lazarus trial. The assay displays how some lexical features, quoting strategies and structuring elements serve to minimise the victim’s experience while underscoring the adverse effects of the trial on the accused.