UK Rapper Yung Filly to Face Retrial on Rape Charges in Australia
British musician and media personality Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, widely known as the rapper Yung Filly, will face a retrial in Australia on three sexual penetration charges. According to court proceedings reported by 1News, Stuff, and the BBC, a jury was unable to reach a verdict on those counts.
The Verdict Breakdown and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
During the trial, the performer was found guilty of two assault offences, per coverage from Australian news outlets. The court also recorded not guilty verdicts for one charge of impeding the woman’s breathing by applying pressure to her neck and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm. Because the jury remained hung on three other sexual penetration counts, prosecutor Danielle Clarke informed the court that the influencer would be retried for those remaining charges.
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Barrientos appeared in court on Friday, where he remains on bail. The case is scheduled to return to the same court next week for a bail variance hearing. Judge Linda Black instructed the opposing legal teams to consider procedural preferences for the upcoming proceedings, including whether the retrial should be heard by a new judge and whether a jury or a judge alone should adjudicate the matter. Prosecutor Danielle Clarke confirmed to the court that the complainant is willing to provide her evidence again.
Context of the Tour and Prosecution Arguments
The legal action stems from an encounter during Barrientos’s first tour of Australia. According to court evidence cited by reporting outlets, the musician met a woman in a nightclub VIP area. Prosecutors argued that the performer grew aggressive during consensual intercourse, asserting that consensual activity ceased before the alleged sexual penetration without consent occurred. The charges of assault for which Barrientos was convicted relate to biting the woman’s face and neck. The defense argued during the trial that these marks were love bites involving sucking and tongue movements where his teeth came into contact with the skin.
The unfolding legal battle has halted the career of the Colombia-born South London singer and comedian. Prior to the trial, Barrientos built a digital and television footprint. His credits include appearances on the BBC’s celebrity version of Bake Off and presenting light entertainment programs such as the dating show Hot Property.
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