North Melbourne Kangaroos player Majak Daw has made his first court appearance facing three charges of rape over an alleged sexual assault at Altona North in 2007 when he was sixteen years old.
Daw appeared at Melbourne Magistrate’s Court briefly today for a filing hearing and is due back in court on August 22nd. The charges sheets released by the magistrate reveal the Sexual Crimes Squad claim the rapes took place between March 23rd and March 24th, 2007, Fairfax Media reports.
The prosecutor Luisa Di Pietrantonio said the police brief of evidence against Daw would be presented to his lawyers on Friday. When Daw was charged, the Melbourne Kangaroos issued a statement saying it would continue to support him and allow him to play in both the VFL and AFL.
“The club respects the integrity of the legal process and asks the right to privacy of all involved be respected,” the club said in a statement. “This is the subject of an ongoing legal proceeding and it is not appropriate for or North Melbourne to make any comment.”
The first Sudanese-born player to play in the AFL, Daw joined the Kangaroos as a rookie in 2010 but hasn’t retain a regular spot in the team. He played last Saturday for North Melbourne affiliate, Werribee, after being cleared by the AFL.
When Daw was charged the AFL put out a statement saying it supported North Melbourne’s position, but placed restrictions on Daw’s league and club promotional activities. “The AFL acknowledges the importance of the presumption of innocence in this case and also the need to treat all parties with respect and understanding,” said AFL lawyer Andrew Dillon.
“Given the specific circumstances of the case, the AFL has determined that the player remains available for selection by his club. However, we will monitor the case and reserve the right to take action under our rules if deemed appropriate.”
Daw has been named as an emergency pick for the Kangaroos in its Round 17 match against St Kilda this Saturday.
