Update, 06/05/2021: Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne has been sentenced to five years and nine months in jail for the rape of a woman on the night of the 2018 grand final with Judge Helen Syme telling the court: “I do not accept that he was not aware that she was attempting to push him away and trying to physically resist him.”
“I have found the offender was fully aware that the victim was not consenting and went ahead anyway,” Syme added. “His decision to do so increases the objective seriousness.”
The Guardian reports Hayne will be eligible for parole after three years and eight months.
At the sentencing, Hayne’s victim spoke out about the devastating impact the crime has taken on her “mentally, physically, socially and academically.”
“I felt dirty and violated. He made me feel like an object and was looking straight through me,” she said in a victim statement, per the Sydney Morning Herald. “I have spent countless hours crying, the feeling of violation and feeling dirty doesn’t go away. I have nightmares and flashbacks of his face looking right through me.”
Original, 23/03/2021: Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on the night of the 2018 grand final, being charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, per The Guardian.
“I’d rather go to jail knowing I spoke the truth than be a free man living a lie,” Hayne told reporters. “It’s unfortunate, it’s disappointing but at the end of the day they’ve come to a decision and I respect that.”
According to reports, Hayne became “rough, forceful and inconsiderate” with the victim during the encounter, despite her allegedly telling him “no” and “no Jarryd.”
The jury cleared Hayne of two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent inflicting actual bodily harm – related to bleeding the woman sustained during the incident.
“I think I froze in a way because I can’t remember a massive struggle, it was just really confusing. But he knew I didn’t want it – I said ‘no’,” the woman said.
“It was forceful and fast. That’s why I can’t say for sure how the [genital] injury was done, whether it was his mouth, his teeth, his nails or a ring. I was numb.”
Detective Superintendent Stacey Maloney praised the victim as “amazing, courageous and resilient” for going through the court process.
“Her courage, resilience and steely nature through this process has been something that the investigators have worked with on a daily basis with her,” Det. Maloney said.
“In terms of victims coming forward, I know there has been a lot of comments around this lately, but we want people to come forward to us, we want to hear your story. We need you to know that we believe you and we’ll be on the journey with you in relation to this process.”
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