Warrandyte Primary School teacher accused of rape after TikTok video sparks ‘flashbacks’ of alleged attack

A woman has accused a Warrandyte Primary School teacher of raping her after a video on consent “triggered” repressed memories four years after the alleged attack.

Mr Colombo is a primary school teacher and decorated lifesaver. Picture: Ellen Smith

A woman who accused a primary school teacher of raping her recounted the alleged assault after a TikTok video “triggered” flashbacks four years later, a court has heard.

Davide Colombo, 26, who taught at Warrandyte Primary School last year, was flanked by his friends and family in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where his alleged victim’s friend and former boyfriend gave evidence that online consent videos had helped her recall the alleged rape.

Mr Colombo, a decorated lifesaver and former Monash University swim teacher, had sexual intercourse with the woman in 2016, the court heard.

The woman’s friend said the alleged victim had “felt uneasy about it” at the time but said she thought her friend was just feeling “funny” about sleeping with someone else after a recent break-up.

Davide Colombo, 26, has been suspended from teaching. Picture: Facebook

“(I told her) it’s normal to feel uneasy (after a long-term relationship) and you’ve done nothing wrong,” she said.

But almost four years later in August 2020 the woman told her she had been having “flashbacks” about Mr Colombo assaulting her.

“She said that more memories were coming back to her,” her friend told the court.

“She remembered saying no.”

“I’ve known her since she was four … I could feel the emotion (in her voice).”

Primary school teacher Davide Colombo will stand trial for rape.

Mr Colombo’s lawyer during cross examination asked whether the alleged victim was “unhappy that there hadn’t been more of an emotional connection” after the pair had sex.

Her friend said the woman’s “disappointment more lied in that there was romance (with Mr Colombo) … (but) once there was sex all the nice stuff had stopped”.

The alleged victim had also texted her boyfriend in August 2020 saying she had watched a video on TikTok about consent that had “triggered” memories of the alleged assault four years earlier.

“I’ve had a bad memory of rape come back to me,” she wrote.

“It feels like it’s just happened.”

She told him she had “repressed” the alleged assault and didn’t want to talk about it, the court heard.

“All she told me was … the TikTok triggered (the memories)” he said.

“She didn’t provide details.”

Magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano ruled that there was sufficient evidence to commit the primary school teacher to trial.

A suited-up Mr Colombo, from Ringwood, stood as he entered his plea.

“I plead not guilty, your honour,” he said.

Mr Colombo had his right to teach temporarily revoked in March this year after he was charged with one count of rape.

He previously taught at Toorloo Arm Primary School in Gippsland in 2021 and is a member of the Lakes Entrance and Mentone Surf Life Saving Clubs.

Mr Colombo will front the County Court on August 9.