Yung Filly’s Lawyer Sh0cks Court: Alleged Rape Victim’s Injuries Were “Love Bites,” Not Assault
A lawyer for British rapper Yung Filly has dismissed suggestions his client raped a woman while on tour, telling a court the act of having consensual sex with groupies is “not a crime”.
The rapper and YouTuber is on trial in the WA District Court over allegations he sexually assaulted a fan following a gig in Perth in 2024.
Yung Filly – whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos – is accused of biting, hitting, choking and raping the 20-year-old woman at an Intercontinental Hotel room.
He has pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual assault, three counts of assault and one count of choking.
The woman presented at a hospital emergency department with bruising, swelling and an open wound to her face, neck and breasts in the days after the alleged incident, and received a tetanus shot.
Mr Barrientos’ trial has entered its closing stages, with his lawyer David Edwardson telling the court his client was the woman’s favourite celebrity and she wanted to be his future wife.
“She said, ‘it was the closest thing to her dreams coming true,’” he said.
British rapper Yung Filly is accused of raping an Australian fan. Picture: Instagram
“There is nothing shameful about (that), she was doing nothing wrong at all, but hopes pitched that thigh have a long way to fall.”
Mr Edwards said Mr Barrientos was not the woman’s “knight in shining armour” and that she was only a groupie.
“She was ready, willing and able to go back to hotel to have sex with Mr Barrientos,” Mr Edwards said.
“He was no doubt opportunistic, no doubt women were hunting him down and (she) was one of them.
“Having (consensual) sex with groupies on tour is not a crime, you might think it’s part of the job description, (it is) just plain facts of life.
“Her injuries look spectacular, and make this case look bad … but they are love bites or hickeys, that is all they are … it is not rape.”
Yung Filly’s defence lawyer told a court having sex with groupies on tour was not a crime. Picture: Instagram
Mr Edwardson argued the young woman actively pursued Yung Filly on the night.
He said she went to the hotel, she had consensual sex with her idol then was told to leave early.
“There was no red carpet or interest in a relationship continuing so she invented a message about car keys, and was told by Mr Barrientos to contact the hotel,” he said.
The defence lawyer said the marks left on her face held obvious sexual connotations and she could have explained the embarrassing marks by saying to people: “He did this to me, and I did not want it to happen.”
“They told her to go to police,” Mr Edwards said.
“Once that dice is rolled there is no turning back.
“You only have to conclude that is a reasonable explanation.”
Lawyers for Yung Filly argued a woman who accused the rapper of raping her could have explained embarrassing love bites as, ‘He did this to me, and I did not want it to happen.’ Picture: NewsWire/Philip Gostelow
Mr Edwardson said his client was telling the truth.
“The prosecutor was quite right, on multiple occasions he had answers for everything, he maintained there was no violence, there was no rape,” the lawyer told the court.
Prosecutors put consent at the centre of the rape trial, telling the court that “everyone has a right to say no”.
Prosecutor Danielle Clarke argued Yung Filly took the young woman by the hand knowing full well he was going to have sex with her but did not tell her.
“He did exactly what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted for his own sexual gratification before getting her out of his room as soon as he could,” Ms Clarke told the court.
Prosecutors put consent at the centre of a rape trial involving British rapper Yung Filly, telling the WA District Court that “everyone has a right to say no”. Picture: Instagram
“She meant absolutely nothing to him and it shows.”
She argued Yung Filly “simply did not care” about a fan he violently raped inside a Perth hotel room.
She said the “entitled man” with moderate fame had very little regard for the impressionable young woman.
“He is here because what could have been and should have been consensual sex quickly escalated into sexual violence and a nightmare for (the woman),” Ms Clarke said.
“Everyone has the right to say no … she certainly did not want to engage in sexual acts with him that involved violence and brutality.”
Defence lawyers for the British rapper argued that people did not ask for consent frame-by-frame when they were already in the moment. Picture: Instagram
But defence lawyers for the British rapper argued that people did not ask for consent frame-by-frame when they were already in the moment.
Mr Edwardson argued the alleged victim was an enthusiastic and willing participant when the two started engaging in sexual activity inside Yung Filly’s room at the InterContinental Hotel.
“The question is whether the violence or sexual acts occurred as (she) said they did, it is common ground they had sex in the hotel room,” he said.
“This is not a court of morals, you are not here to say whether you agree or disagree about how this woman was treated by Mr Barrientos.”
Mr Edwardson argued that when people were “in the moment” they didn’t ask whether sexual activity was consensual frame by frame.
“This notion of a power imbalance and he didn’t ask questions about sexual boundaries or he somehow had a responsibility to ask her before each sexual act in the bedroom is nonsense,” he said.
“It applies both ways. There was an age difference of nine years, but she was an adult.
“One thing is perfectly clear, she was an enthusiastic and willing participant when the sex started.”
The trial continues.
