FIFA World Cup: Arrested Dutch women traumatised

The two Dutch women arrested in the orange dress ambush-marketing saga were "very traumatised" by the experience, their lawyer said on Thursday.

"They were very traumatised; they were treated by bullies," sports24.co.za quoted lawyer Kobus Lowies as telling the South Africa Press Agency (SAPA).

The two, Barbara Castelein and Mirte Nieuwpoort, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on charges related to the SA Merchandise Marks Act.

World football body FIFA accused them of having been sent by brewer Bavaria to orchestrate an ambush marketing campaign at the World Cup match between the Netherlands and Denmark on Monday.

FIFA on Thursday referred all queries to the SA Police Force.

FIFA defended its decision to charge the two, pointing out that it did not charge any of the South African women wearing the orange dresses, apparently because they were not behind the orchestration of the campaign.

"In this case, it has surfaced that at least two co-coordinators were flown in from the Netherlands to organise this ambush activity - they hired innocent local girls and devised a strategy," the FIFA media desk said.

This included training the group of local girls before the match.

The two Dutch women were arrested after 36 women, all dressed in the same orange mini-skirts, were taken in for questioning by the police on Monday. The minis were handed out in Bavaria gift packs in Holland ahead of the World Cup.

The pair face charges of contravening the SA Merchandise Marks Act because Bavaria is not an official World Cup sponsor.