Three of the four sexual assault allegations against Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, who is accused of raping a woman in Sydney, have been dismissed. The public prosecutor dismissed three of the four allegations against the 32-year-old for sexual activity without consent in a Sydney court on Thursday. The defendant was in Sydney for the T20 World Cup. Follow cricket NEWS & LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
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The cricketer reportedly went on a date with the 29-year-old in November 2022, and when they got home to Sydney’s eastern suburbs, he raped her. According to a police fact document provided to the court, the victim “was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused” during the event in November 2022.
The hearing was continued over the six-month mark after the prosecution successfully filed for an extension last month. Alen Sahinovic, Gunathilaka’s attorney, protested the delay on the grounds that his client was experiencing excessive hardship as a foreign national with stringent bail requirements and little access to family and other social assistance.
Gunathilaka accompanied Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad on their tour to Australia last year, however he only got to play in one game before suffering a hamstring injury that forced him to withdraw from the tournament. He was detained early on November 6 at Sydney’s Hyatt Regency hotel, just before he was supposed to fly home with the rest of the squad after they were eliminated from the competition.
Prior to being freed on a $200,000 surety by Downing Centre court, he had given up his passport and been given the instruction not to approach any foreign departure point. On July 13, Gunathilaka will make a second appearance before the same court for committal.
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