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Member of Sri Lanka ICC T20 World Cup squad accused of sexual assault in Sydney

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MenInG

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Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, who was with the national squad for T20 World Cup in Australia, has been arrested on charges of sexual assault, team sources said on Sunday. It has been learnt that the 31-year-old Gunathilaka was arrested and taken to Sydney City police station in the wee hours of Sunday following an investigation into alleged sexual assault of a woman on November 2.

"Daushka Gunathilaka has been arrested for an alleged rape. The Sri Lankan team has left Australia without him," a source close to the Sri Lankan team told PTI.

Sri Lankan team was eliminated from the tournament after losing to England on Sunday.

The left-handed batter played against Namibia in the first round match of the ongoing T20 World Cup and was out for a duck.

Later, he was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury even as the team qualified for the Super 12 stage. The Lankan team finished fourth in Group 1.

The New South Wales police, on its website, has also mentioned about the arrest of an unnamed Sri Lankan national.

"Sex Crimes Squad detectives have charged a Sri Lankan national following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Sydney's east last week," the report said.

According to details on the wesbite, a 29-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted at a residence in Rose Bay earlier this week.

"The woman met with the man after communicating with him for a number of days via an online dating application; it's alleged he then sexually assaulted her on the evening of Wednesday 2 November 2022.

"As part of ongoing investigations, a crime scene examination was undertaken by specialist police at an address in Rose Bay yesterday. Following further inquiries, a 31-year-old man was arrested at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, shortly before 1am today (Sunday 6 November 2022)," the report added.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is yet to issue a statement on the matter.

NDTV
 
Sri Lanka Cricket confirms that it was notified by the ICC that player Danushka Gunathilaka has been arrested on the allegations of sexual assault of a woman in Sydney, and Mr. Gunathilaka is due to appear in court tomorrow (7 November 2022).

SLC will closely monitor the proceedings in court and, in consultation with the ICC, will expeditiously initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the player if found guilty.
 
Sri lankan batsman accused of sexual assaut in Sydney

Horrific stuff
Coming into another country and doing this

Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested this morning after a 29-year-old woman from Rose Bay made a complaint to police.

It's alleged the 31-year-old international cricketer was communicating with the woman for several days via a dating app and through text, voice and video chats before they met up in person on Wednesday evening.


https://www.9news.com.au/national/s...ey-woman/799575a8-8558-479e-8c4b-536771cf5cc6
 
What an idiot. Deserves to be banned by the SL board. Consent is not something that should be taken lightly ever.
 
Innocent until proven guilty- yes.

But suspended? You guys are kidding. This guy will get 20 years in prison here if he is convicted, forget the suspension.

The allegation reported isn't some clumsy grope, it involved repeated sex without consent while holding the person against their will. Suspension will be the least of his worries, if any of this is true.

And now that he's been arrested and charged, he'll have a very hard time getting out due to the severe nature of the alleged crime and possible flight risk.
 
Last edited:
A very weird character this danishka is. Not a very popular character vise among lankans. Got in trouble in the UK once and then issues locally as well. This must be some accusation with proper witness since bail was not granted.
 
hamzie said:
Horrific stuff
Coming into another country and doing this

Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested this morning after a 29-year-old woman from Rose Bay made a complaint to police.

It's alleged the 31-year-old international cricketer was communicating with the woman for several days via a dating app and through text, voice and video chats before they met up in person on Wednesday evening.


https://www.9news.com.au/national/s...ey-woman/799575a8-8558-479e-8c4b-536771cf5cc6
Click to expand...

This guy has serious issues. He was found in a Red Light Area in England also.
If proven, Australian law will throw the book at him.
 
has been arrested. If found guilty, needs to be jailed and no more tours with Sri Lanka team
 
wrongun said:
Innocent until proven guilty- yes.

But suspended? You guys are kidding. This guy will get 20 years in prison here if he is convicted, forget the suspension.

The allegation reported isn't some clumsy grope, it involved repeated sex without consent while holding the person against their will. Suspension will be the least of his worries, if any of this is true.

And now that he's been arrested and charged, he'll have a very hard time getting out due to the severe nature of the alleged crime and possible flight risk.
Click to expand...

Came here to say the same, except I didn’t know how Australian law handled it. Thanks for sharing. Agreed. Book should be thrown at this guy if he is, in fact, guilty.
 
He has had multiple disciplinary issues in the past as well.

If he is proven guilty, should be banned from international cricket for 5 years atleast.
 
He should be behind the bars for 20 years. He was even accused of raping a Norwegian women in srilanka.
He has probably got some issues and he is not good for society.
 
Talented cricketer but seems like a terrible person.
Looks like his international career is over now.
 
alone1213 said:
He should be behind the bars for 20 years. He was even accused of raping a Norwegian women in srilanka.
He has probably got some issues and he is not good for society.
Click to expand...

Oh gosh. The chances of finding yourself in the situation to be falsely accused... but twice of the same thing? Pretty long odds, but that's just my opinion.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
He has had multiple disciplinary issues in the past as well.

If he is proven guilty, should be banned from international cricket for 5 years atleast.
Click to expand...

cricket will be the least of his worries, he will be in jail for years.
 
I wouldn’t jump the gun on this.

He could very well be guilty as charged but communication over a long period, date night & drinks and then inviting him to her home. I would love to believe victims, but what was she expecting was going to happen after inviting him to her home after a date night?

If I was a detective, I would love to thoroughly interrogate both.
 
what is it with pakistanis and victim blaming lol
just because you invite someone to their place doesnt mean youre inviting rape
 
Asian cricketers always get excited when they go to Australia for the first time.

Monty Panesar was also on Tinder when he toured there.
 
it is very strange that there is no hint of any actual evidence released. The articles published are bizarre as well, where the investigator noted that "she took every precaution before inviting him to her home". What precaution do you need to take before inviting somebody from tinder to your home?

It was worded in a very strange way, almost trying to make gunathilaka look guilty.

This whole allegation is highly suspicious. I would wait for some real evidence before labelling him guilty.
 
Stick to this case only.

No need to discuss other cases.
 
Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka appeared by video link in handcuffs at a Sydney court on Monday to seek bail after he was charged with four counts of sexual assault. Gunathilaka, who spoke only to confirm his identity, was shown on a screen in Downing Centre Local Court. He appeared calm as he sat wearing a grey T-shirt at a Sydney detention centre. The batter's lawyer, Ananda Amaranath, said he would seek bail for the 31-year-old.

Magistrate Robert Williams briefly adjourned the case before hearing the bail application.

The prosecution said it would seek to suppress publication of some elements that might identify the alleged victim.

Police arrested and charged Gunathilaka on Sunday, hours after the national team lost to England at the Twenty20 World Cup.

Gunathilaka was ruled out during the first round with a hamstring injury but had remained with the team in Australia.

He was arrested at a hotel in Sydney in the early hours of Sunday and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

New South Wales state police said on Sunday sex crimes squad detectives had investigated the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs last week.

Police said the pair met after communicating for several days on a dating app.

Detective Superintendent Jane Doherty, commander of the New South Wales state Sex Crimes Squad, said the pair had then arranged to meet.

"They had drinks and went for something to eat before going back to the young lady's home," Doherty told police.

She said police would allege that "the male assaulted the female a number of times whilst performing sexual acts upon her".

Sri Lanka's cricket board said it was following the case after being informed about the charges by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"SLC will closely monitor the proceedings in court and, in consultation with the ICC, will expeditiously initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the player if found guilty," it said in a statement

Gunathilaka made his international debut in 2015 and has played eight Tests, 47 ODIs and 46 T20s.

NDTV
 
'No means no' when on a tinder date after days of flirtation and being invited to the woman's home is a difficult concept for people that don't live in the west. The society is coming to a stage where a video camera is needed to record any interactions just to prove oneself innocent while indulging in dating behaviour. There, I said it. Couldn't say it more diplomatically than this.
 
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.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka Cricket will take the necessary steps to promptly carry out an inquiry into the alleged offense, and, upon conclusion of the aforementioned court case in Australia, steps will be taken to penalize the said player if found guilty.

Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to emphasize that it adopts a "zero tolerance" policy for any such conduct by a player and will provide all the required support to the Australian law enforcement authorities to carry out an impartial inquiry into the incident.
 
He should get locked up. Looking at his previous actions we can have a high level of trust in what the victim is saying.

What kind of person goes on dates and does other stuff during a world cup?
 
No need to post explicit details here.
 
Hextro said:
What kind of person goes on dates and does other stuff during a world cup?
Click to expand...

That’s pretty judgemental. It’s his free time and his personal business, unless the SL management had strict curfew orders on their players to not go out in free time.

We should only be concerned about the severity of the accusation, that took place in their private space. If convicted, he should suffer the consequences of his actions.
 
Hextro said:
He should get locked up. Looking at his previous actions we can have a high level of trust in what the victim is saying.

What kind of person goes on dates and does other stuff during a world cup?
Click to expand...

I agree.

He has a track record of getting involved in controversies. I remember he had a heated row with Rashin Khan during last Asia Cup.

This is why I believe he is probably guilty. It is most likely end of his cricket career too.
 
Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of a 3-member investigation panel consisting of Justice Sisira Ratnayake (Retired High Court Judge), Mr. Niroshana Perera, Attorney-at-Law, and Mr. Asela Rekawa, Attorney-at-Law, to initiate an inquiry into the alleged incident involving player Danushka Gunathilaka.

The committee will also focus the inquiry on various alleged incidents that have come to the attention of Sri Lanka Cricket and that are said to have allegedly taken place during the national team's stay in Australia.

The panel in this process will call for an immediate explanation from the Team Manager pertaining to his conduct, with references to the occurrence of such incidents.

Upon submission of the said report by the Panel, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket will take stern disciplinary action against the players and or officials if proved any wrongdoing or negligence when carrying out official duties.
 
sTvDxJm.png
 
Police allege Sydney woman was choked, sexually assaulted by Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka after meeting on Tinder

A Sydney woman has said she feared for her life on a date after meeting Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka on Tinder.

The woman, who cannot be identified, was allegedly sexually assaulted four times in her Rose Bay home on 2 November after going out for drinks and pizza with the international sports star.

Gunathilaka, 31, allegedly refused to wear a condom and choked the woman three times, according to a New South Wales police facts sheet filed with the Downing Centre local court.

Gunathilaka was arrested in the early hours of Sunday at Sydney’s Hyatt Regency Hotel where the Sri Lankan cricket team was preparing to leave Australia after its last game in the T20 World Cup.

He faces four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and has not yet entered a plea.

According to the police facts sheet, the couple matched on Tinder and later had a number of video calls through WhatsApp before meeting in person.

The woman alleges Gunathilaka forcefully kissed her and slapped her buttocks on the ferry home.

After they arrived at her home, the woman “tried to remove the accused’s hand by grabbing his wrist but the accused squeezed tighter around her neck”, the police facts sheet says.

“The complainant was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused.”

She also gagged and could not breath during an attempt at oral sex, the court documents claim.

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

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 consent had not been given.

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

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/austral...-danushka-gunathilaka-after-meeting-on-tinder
 
The above details are very interesting to determine the case of consenual sex or rape, listen girl just because you repent after the date that it was a bad idea,you dont throw rape charges to ruin a man's life.
Thats a very shameful tactic to ruin someone whole life. Another case of HIMTOO
Western countries are money making industries by twisting consent sex into Rape and claim govt for compestation by filing false charges:)
 
Sri Lanka's Gunathilaka granted bail in Sydney assault case

Arrested just before 1 a.m. on Nov. 6 hours before the rest of Sri Lanka's team flew out, Gunathilaka has been charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent after allegedly assaulting a 29-year-old woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka was granted bail in Sydney on Thursday, reversing an earlier decision in the case of the alleged sexual assault of a woman while on tour in Australia for the T20 World Cup

The now-suspended batsman appeared in Sydney's Downing Centre court via video link from Parklea Correctional Centre, reported the Sydney Morning Herald, where he had been in custody since being refused bail on Nov. 7.

Arrested just before 1 a.m. on Nov. 6 hours before the rest of Sri Lanka's team flew out, Gunathilaka has been charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent after allegedly assaulting a 29-year-old woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Police said the cricketer and woman met after talking for several days via an online dating application.

Bail conditions include a A$150,000 ($100,620) surety posted by an undisclosed person, surrender of passport, twice daily police reporting, a curfew from 9pm to 6am, not contacting the complainant and a ban on accessing Tinder and dating applications.

Hindustan Times
 
Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has had three out of his four sexual assault charges dropped after he allegedly raped a Sydney woman.

The 32-year-old was facing four counts of sexual intercourse without consent while in Sydney for the T20 World Cup, but the public prosecutor withdrew three of the charges in a Sydney court on Thursday.

The batsman allegedly met up with the 29-year-old woman for a date in November 2022 before raping her when they returned to her home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

A police facts sheet filed with the court said the woman “was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused” during the November 2022 incident.

The prosecution successfully applied last month for an adjournment, which took the hearing beyond the six-month requirement for charge certification.

Gunathilaka’s lawyer, Alen Sahinovic, opposed the delay, arguing his client was being subjected to undue hardship as a foreign citizen with strict bail conditions and limited familial and social support.

Gunathilaka travelled to Australia with Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team last year but only played in their first game before being ruled out of the competition with a hamstring tear.

He was arrested in the early hours of 6 November at Sydney’s Hyatt Regency hotel, shortly before he was scheduled to board a flight home with the rest of the team after they bowed out of the tournament.

He is set to reappear in court to make a plea on 13 July.


https://www.theguardian.com/austral...three-out-of-four-charges-against-him-dropped
 
I find it interesting that why alot of cricket rape cases take place in Australia?

Gunathilaka, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Pakistan team member in 2001 i think (mentioned in Akhtar's autobiography)
 
SYDNEY, June 8 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka will stand trial on a rape charge stemming from an alleged incident which occurred while he was in Australia to play in the Twenty20 World Cup last year.

The 32-year-old, who was suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) immediately after his arrest last November, had three of the four sexual assault charges he faced dropped last month.

Gunathilaka entered a not guilty plea to the remaining charge of sexual intercourse without consent at a local court in Sydney on Thursday, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.

The top order batsman, who played more than 100 times for his country in all formats, also attempted to have his bail conditions altered so he would only have to report to police three times a week rather than daily, AAP said.
 
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to announce that the Independent Inquiry Committee, appointed by SLC, which was tasked with investigating the impact of the criminal allegations against Mr. Danishka Gunathilaka in Australia, has recommended a full lifting of the ban imposed on him in November 2022 following Mr. Gunathilaka’s acquittal from all charges filed in the District Court of New South Wales and his return to Sri Lanka on 3rd October 2023.

In November 2022, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket suspended Mr. Danishka Gunathilaka from all cricket activities upon learning of his arrest and charges related to alleged sexual assault in Australia during his travel as a member of the National team for the T20 World Cup 2022. This suspension was pending the outcome of legal proceedings and was imposed considering the impact of his actions on the reputation of cricket and the country.

Mr. Gunathilaka, who was under travel restrictions in Australia for the past 11 months, faced a full trial in the District Court of New South Wales, Australia, where he was acquitted of the single charge leveled against him. Other charges under which he was initially arrested were dropped by the Prosecution prior to trial.

After careful evaluation of Mr. Gunathilaka’s exoneration and with due consideration to his cricketing career and its impact on the cricketing ambitions of the nation, the Inquiry Panel, headed by Retired High Court Judge, Sisira Ratnayake, Mr. Niroshana Perera, Attorney at Law and Mr. Asela Rekawa Attorney at Law unanimously recommended an immediate lifting of his cricketing ban, allowing him to resume regular cricket activities and return to national duty.

The Executive Committee of the SLC, at its meeting held on 13th October 2023, has ratified this recommendation. They have also cautioned Mr. Gunathilaka to always uphold his status as a representative of the nation in all his future actions.

SLC media release​
 
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