Jarryd Hayne: Australian rugby star wins appeal against rape convictions and told to stand trial for fourth time

A former Australian rugby league star has won an appeal against his rape convictions and has been told by a judge that he must stand trial once again.

Jarryd Hayne was found guilty of sexual assault by a jury following a trial last year and was sentenced to three years in jail. However, two out of three judges ruled on Wednesday (June 12) that the trial judge had mistakenly prohibited the cross-examination of text messages, which Hayne’s legal team argued had showed consent from the alleged victim in question.

The 36-year-old former rugby star, who played in Australia’s National Rugby League and had a stint in the NFL at the San Francisco 49ers, was accused of attacking the woman in her bedroom in September 2018. The 26-year-old accuser, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleged that she had chatted online with the sports star for around a fortnight before he visited her house in Newcastle, Australia after attending a bachelor party.

She said that Hayne had forced himself on her, despite her vocally telling him “no” and “stop”, with the alleged attack leaving her bleeding. Hayne has denied that any non-consensual contact took place between them.

Justice Stephen Rothman said during Wednesday’s ruling in Sydney that the accidental prohibition of cross-examination of text messages between the two had amounted to a miscarriage of justice and ordered the convictions to be quashed. The court also argued that the jury was not properly directed by the trial judge on how to deal with allegations that the accuser had lied about the experience.

Hayne has been granted bail and released from prison. Last year’s trial in which Hayne was found guilty was the third time the sports star had stood trial for the same case.

His first court case ended in a hung jury, while his second reached a guilty verdict but this was overturned on appeal. The court has ordered a fresh trial, which would be his fourth in the same case, however state prosecutors will decide if this is required.