Back in 2016, Jarryd Hayne decided to retire from the National Football League to pursue his Olympic dream and return to his his original sport on a permanent basis. Just two years later, he was facing charges after he was arrested in Australia for aggravated sexual assault.
In March, a jury in Sydney, Australia found the 33-year-old guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The woman claimed Hayne had performed sexual acts on her without her consent and caused multiple injuries.
Now Hayne has been sentenced to at least three years and eight months in jail for the sexual assault of a woman in 2018. He was found not guilty of the two more serious charges of aggravated sexual assault without consent inflicting actual bodily harm.
District Court Judge Helen Syme said she found that Hayne was fully aware that the victim was not consenting, yet he proceeded to do what he did anyway.
“The reliability and honesty of the victim’s evidence was tested at length and in my view, her reliability was not in doubt. She said no several times,” Syme said. “The use of force was such that the victim had no prospect of stopping him physically. He was at least twice her weight at 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and an athlete at the top of his form. The offender was fully aware the victim was not consenting.”
The 28-year-old woman delivered a powerful impact statement:
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“You don’t owe somebody your body, nor should they expect it,” the woman said. “My body remembers and my mind won’t let me forget. This assault has changed me. It changed my direction and who I was. I don’t remember the last time I had a proper sleep.”
Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan as a supporter of Hayne treated a victim terriby.
Jarryd spoke with media members outside of the courthouse in March and confirmed he would “definitely appeal” the guilty verdict.
“I’d rather go to jail knowing I spoke the truth than be a free man living a lie,” Hayne said … “It’s unfortunate, it’s disappointing. But at the end of the day, they’ve come to the decision. I respect that.”
