Woman says she feared for her life during alleged rape by World Cup cricketer
By Angus Watson, CNN
A woman allegedly raped by a Sri Lankan World Cup cricketer in Sydney, Australia last week told police she feared for her life during the attack, according to court documents reported by CNN affiliate 7 News.
Danushka Gunathilaka faces four charges of sexual intercourse without consent after being arrested by police in Sydney on November 5 — shortly after his team played their final T20 Cricket World Cup match.
Gunathilaka maintains his innocence of all charges and intends to vigorously defend the matter in court, his lawyer told CNN Thursday.
Police reports released by a court in Sydney on Wednesday and reported by CNN affiliate, 7 News, detail the police allegations against Gunathilaka.
The woman, who is not identified, told police the pair went on a date in Sydney after meeting on Tinder, according to police and reported by 7 News.
Police say the pair then went to the woman’s home in the harborside suburb of Rose Bay where the woman says the alleged rape occurred, 7 News reported.
According to the police document the victim alleges that Gunathilaka refused to wear a condom and choked the woman three times, 7 News reported.
7 News reported the details of a police interview given by the cricketer after Gunathilaka’s arrest.
Police say he “corroborated some of the alleged victim’s story but denied he had been violent or that consent had not been given.”
“The complainant tried to remove the accused’s hand by grabbing his wrist but the accused squeezed tighter around her neck,” the police document reportedly reads, according to 7 News.
“The complainant was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused,” 7 News reported citing the police report.
“She continually tried to pull away from the accused, a clear indication that she was not consenting,” police allege according to 7 News.
Prosecutors allege the woman did not consent to sex without a condom or any of the other sexual acts, 7 News reported.
Gunathilaka is being held without bond. He has not entered a plea in the case.
7 News reports the next hearing in the case is January 12.
CNN has not obtained the court documents.
This year, strict new laws around sexual consent took effect in the state of New South Wales, mandating that sexual partners must obtain consent by word or gestures before engaging in intercourse, and that sexual partners have a responsibility to clarify consent has been given.
The law stipulates that sexual consent to one act does not guarantee consent to other acts.
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