Relief for Sri Lankan cricketer Gunathilaka, three out of four sexual harassment charges dropped

Sydney. Three of the four sexual assault charges against Sri Lankan cricketer Dhanushka Gunathilaka were dropped on Thursday. Gunathilaka was accused of rape by a woman last year. The 32-year-old was arrested by Sydney police from the team hotel during the T20 World Cup in November after Gunathilaka was accused of four times having sex without consent. The public prosecutor, however, dropped the three charges in a Sydney court.

According to the police, the Sri Lankan batsman and the 29-year-old woman came in contact with each other through a ‘dating app’. After meeting each other, they both reached the woman’s Sydney residence where Gunathilaka allegedly strangulated the woman and raped her. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “Public Prosecutor Hugh Buddin told the court that one charge had been proven while three charges of having sex without consent had been dropped.”

Gunathilaka was a member of Sri Lanka’s squad during the T20 World Cup last year. He played the first match against Namibia but after that he was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Gunathilaka has played eight Tests, 45 One Day Internationals and 46 T20 Internationals for Sri Lanka.