A LAWYER has argued that a sex act between a convicted rapist and his 20-year-old female victim was consensual, because the woman didn't "close her legs".

George Pule, 34, was found guilty of raping the young woman in an alleyway after the bouncer promised to help her gain entry to a club.

The lawyer, Keith Jeffries, told a hearing at the Wellington District Court the woman's allegations were made out of regret and not because the sex was non-consensual, Fairfax NZ reports.

"All she would have had to do was to close her legs ... it's as simple as that," he said.

"Why didn't she do that? ... The reason she didn't do that was because the sex was consensual, as easy as that."

Mr Jeffries' comments were immediately reprimanded by Natalie Gousmett of the Wellington Rape Crisis group.

"It's disgusting, but also unnecessary, to use that kind of victim-blaming rhetoric."

"No, she didn't fight back, she didn't scream her head off, she didn't go running into the street screaming 'Rape!' But this isn't an American TV show.

"This is real life. She was scared, and she didn't want to make the situation worse."