Sri Lankan batter Danushka acquitted from sexual assault charges by Sydney court
Sep 28, 2023
Colombo [Sri Lanka], September 28 : Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has been found not guilty of sexual assault charges by a Sydney court. Gunathilaka was arrested from the team's hotel and charged with sexual intercourse with no consent during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
"The evidence establishes that there was no opportunity for the accused to remove the condom during intercourse because that intercourse was continuous," Judge Sarah Huggett said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo in handing down the verdict.
The judge acquitted the 32-year-old at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Thursday.
"I find that the evidence regarding the complaint far from supports the complainant. Rather it undermines the reliability of her evidence," the judge added in her verdict.
Gunathilaka was ruled out of the T20 World Cup on October 19 due to a hamstring injury but was with the squad as a "standby" player when the incident allegedly occurred.
Sri Lankan batter Danushka Gunathilaka was suspended from all forms of cricket by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board after the batter was arrested and charged with sexual assault.
"The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket decided to suspend national player Danushka Gunathilaka from all forms of cricket with immediate effect and will not consider him for any selections after being informed that Mr. Gunathilaka was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a woman in Australia," the Sri Lanka Cricket said in an official statement.
Gunathilaka has been a part of Sri Lanka's white-ball set-up since 2017 and has represented the nation in 47 ODIs, 46 T20Is and eight Tests.
