Alexander Matters’ alleged rape victim accused of lying to save face
A defence lawyer has accused a woman who accused an Australian National University student of rape of lying to protect her reputation as an advocate for sexual assault survivors.
Canberra Star
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An Australian National University student has denied accusing a fellow student of rape to save her reputation as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault.
ANU student Alexander Louis Christopher Matters has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and an act of indecency without consent in the ACT Supreme Court.
The charges related to an alleged incident on May 5, 2021 when Matters allegedly continued to have sex with the complainant despite her saying “please stop, I don’t like this”
Prosecutors allege Matters thrusted three times before the woman said no, and allege he said “ it will feel good in a second, I’m almost there” before continuing to penetrate her.
Matters allegedly performed an act of indecency by ejaculating on the woman’s chest without her consent.
The woman said Matters “nagged her” by asking her multiple times if he could perform a sex act on the woman.
She said while she eventually “begrudgingly” said yes, she did not genuinely consent.
During the third day of the trial the cross examination of the complainant continued with Matters’ lawyer Steven Whybrow SC grilling her about a series of texts and audio messages she sent to his client.
The court heard two audio messages sent to Matters from the complainant days after the alleged incident where she said “f--k me daddy” and “I want you to f--k me so hard”.
When asked why she sent those audio messages the complainant said she was drunk and “not feeling too great about myself.”
When Mr Whybrow suggested the relationship between her and Mr Matters could be described as “friends with benefits” the woman agreed.
She admitted she continued to have a casual sexual relationship with Mr Matters following the incident.
Mr Whybrow presented a number of messages between the complainant and her friends where she referenced continuing a sexual relationship with Mr Matters.
“I can’t stop having sex with him LOL” one message said.
Another message said “Bro I keep sleeping with Alex”.
Mr Whybrow probed about what prompted the complainant to contact police in September 2021 after Mr Matters had been charged with now-withdrawn charges of sexual intercourse without consent relating to a different person.
“It would affect your image (as an advocate) to have sex with someone accused of sexual assault,” Mr Whybrow said.
“This is not the case,” the complainant said.
A flurry of messages between friends sharing the news about the previous charges laid against Mr Matters were detailed to court.
They included a message from the complainant to a friend which said “I don’t know if I got raped”.
A message chain between the woman and her godmother was shown to the court where she told her godmother she had a sexual relationship with Mr Matters.
“I think I may have been raped, I don’t know,” the complainant said.
Mr Matters will not give evidence in the trial.
In summing up the prosecution’s case crown prosecutor Soraya Saikal-Skea asked the jury if they would think the complainant would consent to “extremely rough sex” that led to her bleeding.
Mr Whybrow told the jury “she has lied to you”.
The trial continues.
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