Rape Accused Sri Lankan Cricketer Finally Allowed to Travel Beyond Australia After Eight Months
Danushka Gunathilaka was in Australia since the T20 World Cup last year (Getty Images)
According to cricket.com.au, Danushka Gunathilaka, who has been in Australia since the T20 World Cup last year, will be permitted to travel beyond the country.
After being detained and accused of raping a woman in November of last year, Gunathilaka, who resides in Sydney, entered a not-guilty plea. The left-handed batsman was getting ready to board a plane with his teammates to return to Sri Lanka, but the charges prevented him from doing so.
On November 17, Gunathilaka was granted bail under the strict condition that he would hand over his passport and refrain from traveling to any international airport. He requested a change in bail on Tuesday so that he could leave Australia twice this month.
Acting Judge Graeme Henson approved the request from Gunathilaka to suspend the prohibition against approaching international departure points, allowing him to travel four days this week and four days at the end of the month. However, Henson did specify that if the cricketer intended to travel inside of Australia, he had to give the police at least 48 hours notice along with the length, destination, and itinerary of his trip.
Gunathilaka is only permitted to own one mobile phone and is still required to report to the police three times per week. Due to the accusations made against him, he is also not allowed to use dating websites or apps.
"A Sri Lankan cricket star who has been stranded in Australia for more than eight months will be allowed to travel domestically after his bail conditions were eased. Danushka Gunathilaka wore black pants and a black heavy jacket when he appeared in Sydney Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday to ask the court for leniency on his bail," the report read.
The cricketer allegedly chatted with the woman several times online before meeting her, according to the police, after matching with her on a dating app. Around 11 p.m., the two returned to the woman's house in Sydney's eastern suburbs after having drinks in the city.
In spite of the woman's request to "take it slow," Gunathilaka allegedly sexually assaulted the 29-year-old inside her home. According to the police, the cricketer had "forceful" sex with the woman and choked her three times.
The woman told the police that she was "too afraid to do anything" and that she would only have agreed to have sex with the cricket celebrity if he agreed to use a condom. She informed the police that she later discovered the condom next to the bed on the floor.
The non-consensual removal of a condom during sex, known as "stealthing," was the basis for the sexual assault charge, the court was informed. He is now due to face a judge-alone trial in September.
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