“After everything she said that is done to her in that room, Mr Barrientos rings room service to ask for a burger and she asked for chips to go,” said her lawyer David Edwardson. “A request made by her to him, when minutes earlier he slapped, choked and raped her and she said, ‘Can I have chips to go.’ That is what her narrative is … what you might think is utterly improbable,” reports The Australian’s Emma Kirk from a trial in Perth.
British rapper Yung Filly assaulted a 20-year-old fan in a hotel room while on his 2024 Australian tour, but did not rape her, a jury has found. The YouTube star – whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos – was charged with six counts of sexual assault, three counts of assault and one count of choking relating to an incident at a Perth hotel after a gig at a Hillary’s Boat Harbour nightclub.
A jury was unable to reach a majority verdict on three counts of sexual assault, and was discharged on these counts. The jury found him not guilty of choking, slapping the alleged victim multiple times during the alleged encounter and three rape charges.
He was found guilty of assault that involved biting the woman’s face and neck, as well biting her breast hard enough to leave an open wound. During her closing argument, state prosecutor Danielle Clarke argued the rapper was an “entitled man” who had very little regard for the woman, who was excited and desperate to meet her idol.
However, Yung Filly’s lawyer, David Edwardson, told the court the young woman was an enthusiastic and willing participant when the sex started. “The question is whether the violence or sexual acts occurred as (she) said they did. It is common ground they had sex in the hotel room,” he said “This is not a court of morals, you are not here to say whether you agree or disagree about how this woman was treated by Mr Barrientos.”
“Mr Edwardson argued that when people were “in the moment” they did not ask whether sexual activity was consensual, frame by frame. “This notion of a power imbalance and he didn’t ask questions about sexual boundaries, or he somehow had a responsibility to ask her before each sexual act in the bedroom is nonsense,” he said.
“It applies both ways. There was an age difference of nine years, but she was an adult. “One thing is perfectly clear, she was an enthusiastic and willing participant when the sex started.” Mr Edwardson argued medical evidence shown in court was unable to establish that Mr Barrientos raped, assaulted or strangled the woman. He said the state and police also failed to gather critical evidence or interview key witnesses who spoke to the woman after the alleged rape. “We say (the woman’s) evidence is riddled with inconsistencies, embellishment and outright lies.”
Barrientos will appear in court for a sentence mention on August 21.