A BRAZILIAN man living in Sydney has today been found not guilty of raping a woman he met on Tinder.
According to the ABC, Rogerio Luiz De Souza Correia, 33, wiped away tears as the jury delivered the not guilty verdicts on all six charges of aggravated sexual assault.
Correia was accused of rape by a 29-year-old-woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after meeting her on Tinder in 2016.
During the trial, the New South Wales District Court heard Correia felt “entitled” to sex with the woman because “that is what the dating app is for”.
The pair messaged for five weeks before Correia came to a party at her apartment in Sydney.
The woman claimed Correia raped and assaulted her.
She said she repeatedly said “no” and tried to push him away during the alleged attack.
Crown Prosecutor Gareth Harrison told the court that in a police interview Correia said he expected to have sex with the woman at her apartment.
Mr Harrison told the jury that during a police interview, Correia had said, “I had a feeling she wanted it and that’s what the Tinder app is for.”
He said the woman called the police immediately after the assault and went straight to hospital.
Doctors found evidence of intercourse and bruises on her body. Correia admitted to engaging in sexual acts with the woman, but claimed it was consensual.
Defence barrister Troy Anderson said that the sex was “at her instigation as much as it was his”.
“[Correia] says: ‘Yes we did kiss, in the kitchen on the floors, it was consensual but I couldn’t get an erection … before I knew it she was up and she left.’”
Anderson added, “As far as he is concerned nothing has gone on that is odd,” he said.
“His case is [the woman] did consent and he believed she was consenting.”
Correia has been in custody in the Villawood Detention Centre.
According to the ABC, Anderson told the court Correia “has to go back to Villawood and will ultimately be repatriated” to his home country.
Judge Ian McClintock said: “As far as the state of NSW is concerned Correia is free to go.”
has anyone used Tinder??.... I thought it was a dating site?... not so.. its a hook up site...
