Srilankan Cricketer Gunathilaka sentenced to 14 Years in Prison For Sexual Assualt an Aussie Woman

Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka almost choked the woman during an alleged rape attempt. The woman alleged that she was sexually assaulted four times in her home at Sydney’s Rose Bay on November 2 after going out for a date with the international cricketer, who was here as part of the Sri Lankan team for the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Gunathilaka was later arrested from his team hotel by Sydney police, even as other members of the Sri Lankan squad returned home following the side’s exit in the Super 12 stage.

The ExCo of SLC decided to suspend national player Danushka Gunathilaka from all forms of cricket with immediate effect and will not consider him for any selections. READ 👇https://t.co/0qp6lNVEoH

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) November 7, 2022

The left-handed batter has been denied bail on Monday and is facing a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that Gunathilaka tried to choke her three times during the sexual assault.

“The complainant tried to remove the accused’s hand by grabbing his wrist, but the accused squeezed tighter around her neck,” Australian media reports said quoting police documents.

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

“She continually tried to pull away from the accused, a clear indication that she was not consenting.” The next hearing in the case is set for January 12.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken strong note of the incident and suspended Gunathilaka from all forms of the game.

Shamed by the incident, the Sri Lankan government has asked SLC to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter.

Gunathilaka played against Namibia in Sri Lanka’s first-round match and was out for a duck. He was later ruled out of the tournament due to an injury but stayed with the team after it qualified for the Super 12 stage. Gunathilaka, who has represented Sri Lanka in eight Tests, 47 ODIs, and 46 T20 Internationals, is no stranger to controversies.