Sydney woman alleges Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka did not wear condom, choked her three times

Sydney: A woman in Sydney has alleged that she was raped by Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka. According to the prosecution documents that were made ublic on Wednesday, the woman told police that her date with the 31-year-old sportsperson turned into a nightmare in which she feared for her life.

Citing unsealed court documents, local media report on Wednesday said that the woman accused Gunathilaka of sexually assaulting her multiple times in Australia and choking her so hard that she required a brain scan to check for injury.

The 31-year-old Sri Lankan cricketer was arrested on Sunday mere hours after his country lost to England in the Twenty20 World Cup. He is facing four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and has not yet entered pleas. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Rape complaint against Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka

As per the complaint, the woman was allegedly sexually assaulted four times on 2 November in her home at Sydney’s Rose Bay after she and the international sports star returned post drinks and pizza outing that evening.

Gunathilaka was arrested from Sydney’s Hyatt Regency Hotel where he was staying while the Sri Lankan cricket squad was in Australia for the Twenty20 World Cup.

On Monday, the sportsperson’s application for release from custody on bail was refused by Magistrate Robert Williams, who ordered some details of the case be banned from publication in the media until Wednesday.

Where did Danushka Gunathilaka and the woman meet?

According to a police facts sheet filed with the Downing Center Local Court, the couple matched on the Tinder dating app then shared a number of video calls through WhatsApp before meeting in person at a bar near the Sydney Opera House.

The woman alleged that Gunathilaka forcefully kissed her and slapped her buttocks on a ferry ride to her home.

After they arrived at her home, the cricketer allegedly refused to wear a condom and choked the woman three times.

“The complainant tried to remove the accused’s hand by grabbing his wrist, but the accused squeezed tighter around her neck,” police documents allege. “The complainant was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused.”

She also couldn’t breathe during an attempt at forced oral sex, court documents allege.

“She continually tried to pull away from the accused, a clear indication that she was not consenting,” police allege.

In a police interview after his arrest, Gunathilaka corroborated some of the alleged victim’s story but denied that he had been violent or that she had not given consent.

Prosecutors allege the victim did not consent to sex without a condom or any of the other sexual acts that took place.

The matter is set to return to court on 12 January.

Lawyers for Gunathilaka have flagged a potential application for his release on bail to the New South Wales state Supreme Court before then.

Gunathilaka traveled to Australia with the Sri Lanka squad but only played in one game, a loss against Namibia, before being ruled out of the competition with an injured hamstring.

Sri Lanka bowed out of the tournament on Saturday night after losing its last group-stage match to England, and the team had a flight home on Sunday.

Gunathilaka, a left-handed batter, has played nearly 100 internationals for Sri Lanka in limited-overs formats and eight test matches.

Sri Lanka’s cricket board has launched its own investigation, emphasizing that it adopts a zero tolerance policy toward any such alleged conduct by a player and would provide all the required support to Australian authorities to carry out an impartial inquiry into the incident.

With inputs from AP and AFP

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