SA woman convicted by jury of using social media to harass man she claims raped her and of threatening his family

She says she was raped by a man who also spent all her money – but a jury has found that’s no excuse for bombarding him with violent threats and grotesque photos.

An alleged rape victim who denied using Facebook to bombard her purported assailant and his family with grotesque and violent threats has been found guilty of online harassment.

A District Court jury has convicted the woman, who cannot be named, of four counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence.

However, the jury – comprised of five men and seven women – acquitted the woman of a further 12 counts including allegations she used a carriage service to threaten to cause serious harm or kill.

Jurors arrived at their verdict despite the woman taking the stand and giving sworn evidence that she had not harassed anyone via the social media platform.

She rejected assertions, by prosecutors, that she attacked her victims while “angry” and “furious” over an incident of “non-consensual sex” and a $600 alcohol tab.

“I was not angry enough to send those messages … I was not furious enough to send this content, no,” she said in her evidence.

“I had blocked him, I had no further contact with him.”

Opening the trial, prosecutors alleged the woman sent threats of torture, mutilation and death to the man and his family, and to put a $300 bounty on his head, using fake profiles.

The woman, who cannot be named, has been found guilty of harassing a man who she claims raped her.

They alleged she had threatened to desecrate the graves of their deceased relatives, commit acts of cannibalism and sent them photos of beheaded and dismembered bodies.

During her evidence, the woman said the man had taken her to several bars and a strip club in 2017, using her debit card to pay for $600 worth of alcohol “without my permission”.

She said that, upon arriving at his home, he “laid me on a bed and I could hear buttons being undone, then I threw up and blacked out”.

“If I’m barely able to walk and I lose consciousness by the end of the night, how is that consensual?” she said, claiming she was “brushed off” when she went to police.

Shown each of the messages and fake profiles, the woman denied any connection with them, repeatedly saying “no”.

Asked why she had, upon her arrest, admitted sending some of the messages, the woman said she had been afraid of police “since I was 15”.

“I found it all very intimidating and I felt like, if I said ‘no’ to all accusations, I would be in custody until this was resolved … I would not survive a day in jail,” she said.

“I was hoping that they (police) would look at all my devices and see that I didn’t do any of this, and that it would all be resolved within 12 months.”

Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett remanded the woman on continuing bail until January, when a sentencing date will be set.