Ballarat man accused of raping teenager at neighbour's home
A teenager asked Ballarat man Lachlan Young what his girlfriend would think about claims that he raped her in 2024, a Victorian court has heard.
Lachlan Young, a 21-year-old man from Ballarat, is accused of raping a 16-year-old teenager at his neighbour's home in Sebastopol in February 2024. The teenager alleged the rape in a series of Snapchat messages, prompting a police report. Young has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, with his defence team asserting that the complainant's credibility will be scrutinized by the jury.
Prosecutors presented a transcript of the Snapchat messages exchanged between Young and the complainant, which took place weeks after the alleged incident on February 5, 2024. The girl expressed concern about how her mother would react if she found out about the alleged sexual encounter. Young's responses to the complainant's messages suggest he denied any wrongdoing and questioned her credibility.
The prosecutor stated that Young first met the complainant at his neighbour's Sebastopol house on February 4, 2024. According to the prosecutor, the pair engaged in consensual sexual touching in the backyard before Young allegedly forced the teenager to have sexual intercourse against her will. The girl later disclosed the alleged rape to a school counselor and participated in a police interview.
Young's defense barrister, Glenn Casement, maintained that consensual sexual touching occurred between his client and the teenager, but denied that anything further took place. He argued that the complainant's credibility and reliability would be a crucial factor for the jury to consider during the trial. The jury was instructed to assess the complainant's story for any inconsistencies and evaluate whether it was truthful or not. The trial is ongoing before Judge Caitlin English.
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