Former Wah!Banana actor, 30, cleared of rape after appeal court acquits him of all charges
The appeal judges found inconsistencies in the woman's testimony.
Russian actor Lev Panfilov has been acquitted of rape and sexual assault charges after appealing his conviction. The 30-year-old was previously sentenced to 11 years and six months in jail on May 19, 2025, after being found guilty of raping, sexually assaulting and molesting a woman in his flat on Jan. 12, 2021. The Court of Appeal overturned the convictions on September 2, citing inconsistencies in the victim's testimony.
During the trial, Panfilov did not deny having sex with the woman but claimed it was consensual. The judges found the victim's account unconvincing and noted inconsistencies, such as whether she screamed during the alleged assault and a gap in time when he left the room to go to the bathroom. The prosecutors' only physical evidence was a pair of blood-stained underwear, which was taken from her laundry basket six days after the incident and did not match Panfilov's description.
The appeal judges determined that the victim's testimony did not meet the "unusually convincing" standard required to overcome the lack of corroborative evidence.
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