Your particular criticism is not fair in my opinion. Both researchers went to undergrad outside the U.S., so they may not speak English as a first language. Therefore, it's not fair to assume to intended that connotation.
If they have a problem in mastering English, they can take lessons, and make native speaker review their communication in the meantime.
The benefit of the doubt can not stick for ever on people caught red-handed. It can be restored of course, but they are now in a position where they drastically shifted the perception by their own actions, and thus can't really complain of the results of their own doings. Yes, they can not make mistakes anymore, and everything they did in the past will be reviewed harshly, not for further condemning them without reasons, but just to be sure they did not actually break things while practicing their malicious activities.