Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka cleared of sexual assault charges by Australian court

Sri Lanka batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been cleared of charges of sexually assaulting a Tinder date through the act of "stealthing" by the Australian court on Thursday, September 28. Judge Sarah Huggett of Sydney's Downing Centre District Court acquitted the 32-year-old as he was relieved from the trial charges. The incident happened after Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup exit in November 2022, with Gunathilaka staying back in Australia for the trial.

Gunathilaka cleared of charges

"The evidence establishes that there was no opportunity for the accused to remove the condom during intercourse because that intercourse was continuous," the judge said in handing down the verdict.

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"I find that the evidence regarding the complaint far from supports the complainant. Rather it undermines the reliability of her evidence," she further stated in the verdict.

What was the incident?

In November 2022, Gunathilaka and a woman dated after sharing texts on social media app Tinder, the pair would later meet for drinks at the Opera Bar in Sydney. It is reported that the pair would have pizza together in the Sydney CBD and then catch a ferry to the woman's eastern suburbanhome.

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However, the meeting at the victim’s home in Sydney resulted in violent conduct, with the woman accusing Gunathilaka of various acts of aggression and violence. According to Espncricinfo, Gunathilaka slapped the woman on the buttocks, forcefully kissing her bruising her lips, and choking her during sex.

After the incident was reported to the Sydney Police, Gunathilaka was investigated for four charges, including stealthing. He was arrested at the Hyatt Regency hours before the Sri Lankan cricket team was due to fly out of Australia, having faced elimination from the T20 World Cup. The player had claimed not guilty and claimed innocence during the trial period. The victim woman’s friends played a crucial role in the verdict as they described her fragile and distraught a day after Gunathilaka visited her home in Sydney.

During the trial period, Gunathilaka was unable to travel outside Australia and he was also frozen out by the national team. This also resulted in him missing out on the ODI World Cup berth in India, while the national team also missed out on his services during the qualification phase of the tournament.

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