Eddie Elia Comi Dap Epseg: Cairns doctor allegedly ‘not too interested’ in woman’s sex complaint

The woman who alleges she was raped by a Cairns rugby league player said a doctor was “not too interested” in her “violent” sex claims, the Crown Prosecutor alleged in her opening.

Eddie Epseg denies all charges against him.

The woman who claims she was raped by a Cairns rugby league player said she went to a female doctor the day after the incident but the woman was allegedly “not too interested” in her ‘violent’ sex claims and did not give her a full medical examination, a court has heard.

However, Dr Susan Fernandes said the woman had said the incident had “turned a bit violent...but she did not say she had been raped” when she went to see the GP to obtain a medical certificate for work.

Eddie Elia Comi Dap Epseg denies all eight rape charges at a trial over an alleged incident in August 2022.

The landscaper, who has represented several clubs in the FNQ Rugby League competition denies raping a woman several times, including with a bottle.

He also faces one charge of attempted rape and one charge of choking rape of the Parramatta Park woman, both of which he also denies.

The woman alleges Mr Epseg raped her anally and vaginally, then raped her with a vibrator and a water bottle, leaving her ‘bruised, tender and uncomfortable’.

In her opening address, Crown prosecutor Rachel Boivin told Cairns District Court the complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was raped several times in one night by Mr Epseg.

Ms Boivin told the court he told the woman he was a “monster” after raping her.

He also allegedly suggested to the woman she should “have a threesome”, the court heard.

The court heard the man allegedly blindfolded her as she “sat in a daze”.

When she complained he is alleged to have put his fingers in her mouth so she could barely breathe.

“She was scared, she told him to stop, he kept on going,” Ms Boivin told the court.

Ms Boivin told the 12-person jury the woman emerged from the alleged incident “bruised, tender and uncomfortable”.

It is alleged she attended Cairns Family Medical Centre the next day and consulted with Dr Susan Fernandes.

The Cairns Family Medical Centre in Parramatta Park.

However, Ms Boivin said she expected the evidence before the court would be that “Dr Fernandes was not too interested in what had happened”.

“Dr Fernandes, (the complainant) thought, was not too interested in what had happened. (The complaniant) was still in shock. She tried to tell her about Mr Epsig but all the doctor would say back to her was that he was married,” Ms Boivin told the jury.

When called as a witness Dr Fernandes told the court the complainant had told her “they had unprotected sexual intercourse but eventually it turned a bit violent”.

“She did not tell me she had been raped” Dr Fernandes said and explained that she had come to believe the encounter was consensual.

Dr Fernandes confirmed she did not undertake a full vaginal examination and instead sent her for an STI-test, the court was told.

“I do have in my notes she had a few lacerations on her labia. But I don’t recall seeing them”.

In her opening address, Ms Boivin said the complainant spoke about the appointment with a friend afterwards and they agreed for her to see someone else.

Ms Boivin also said the complainant then called a sexual assault clinic and they advised her to go to a hospital where she was examined, interviewed and then went to the police, the court heard.

The trial continues.

Originally published as Eddie Elia Comi Dap Epseg: Cairns doctor allegedly ‘not too interested’ in woman’s sex complaint