Two Scone footballers on trial for alleged rape of 18-year-old
Two Scone footballers are on trial for allegedly forcing an 18-year-old into a threesome on 22 April 2023.
Hayden Charles Topliss and Ryan Matthew Hawkshaw are on trial in Newcastle District Court. The alleged victim's sister gave evidence she was woken by a knock on her bedroom door around 3.30am and heard her sister say "I believe I got raped".
The Crown alleges the victim initially consented to sex with Hawkshaw, but when she said no to Topliss joining, he entered naked, pushed her onto the bed, and pulled her pants down. Topliss and Hawkshaw allegedly performed non-consensual sex acts while she repeatedly told them to stop.
The victim delayed reporting until about a year later, after Topliss allegedly forced her hand onto his genitals through his shorts on a dance floor. The witness described her sibling as upset, nervous and rushed.
Why it mattersThe trial is testing how courts apply consent law when sexual assault happens inside a relationship that started consensually, and how long victims wait before coming forward.
AustraliaThe case, being heard in a NSW court, shapes how Australian law treats sexual assault within changing sexual situations and may affect how police and prosecutors approach delayed reports.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 d ago
