“I was just feeling down when I called you,” rape victim Carol told John Laws when she rang back today.

She was responding to newspaper reports and talkback calls criticising Laws for his line of questioning when she called on Tuesday.

“I wasn’t offended by your question, I did understand what you meant. I didn’t take it that you were saying I was a provocative little girl,” she said on 2SM.

“Now I feel terrible that I rang you… I didn’t want to hear people going off at you.”

Laws answered, telling her not to worry about that, “I’ve got broad shoulders,”  he said.

At the end of the call he asked her to confirm that she had rung back spontaneously and had not been asked by the Laws show to call and make her comments.

Laws opened his show earlier saying:

“The newspapers have been having a field day ever since we took a call from a lady named Carol who had been repeatedly sexually abused as a girl and through her teens… It has been claimed that I asked a series of alarming questions, if anyone has [been offended] I wouldn’t offend you for anything.

“If I created any ambiguity about what Carol had been through, then I am truly sorry.

“At no point in our conversation did Carol once complain, not once, however for anyone who did get that impression, I’m sorry. That wasn’t an impression I wanted to create. You know I was genuinely concerned for Carol’s welfare.”

He replayed the second call from Carol who said his question about being provocative did “take her aback” but that it was a fair question in context.

His show today took a mixture of supportive callers and other emails and calls criticising him.

By 11.30 Laws told listeners, “you can email during then weekend, but don’t bother sending any more emails about Carol, they won’t be read…”

While Laws may not want ot read any more emails, the issue may not be over as station management may have to respond to an online petition that has now been launched at change.org. The petition, begun by Destroy the Joint, reads:

“John Laws, 2SM management, and the owners of Super Radio Network. We want John Laws and 2SM to apologise and commit to education on sexual assault.”   Click here to view.

On twitter today most of the “clowns” who posted comments were critical of Laws.

See our earlier report to hear the original audio.