Yung Filly Not Guilty of Rape Charges in Australia

UK rapper Yung Filly found not guilty of rape charges in Australia, but convicted of assault. Court proceedings continue for hung jury verdicts.

UK rapper Yung Filly has been acquitted of raping a fan in Australia following his performance at a nightclub in 2024. A jury in Western Australia reached the verdict on Friday, clearing him of three counts of sexual penetration without consent, while he was convicted of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.

The performer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, faced allegations of sexual assault after allegedly meeting a 20-year-old woman in his hotel room following his concert in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth.

While the jury could not reach a decision on three other rape charges, they found Barrientos not guilty on one count of assault occasioning bodily harm and for strangulation. The 30-year-old, who denied all charges, reportedly showed emotion as the verdict was announced.

Barrientos will remain on bail until August 21, when the court will set a date for his sentencing. The prosecution is also considering the next steps regarding the unresolved rape charges.

Since the charges were initially filed, Barrientos has remained on bail, allowing him to travel back to the UK for four months last September before returning to Australia for the trial.

During the court proceedings, Barrientos described feeling an attraction to the woman when they met at the venue. He mentioned that the two had engaged in consensual sex in his hotel room but disputed her account of events when things turned violent.

He claimed the young woman told him to stop during an altercation in the hotel room. Evidence presented included photos of bruises and bite marks on her body. Barrientos, however, insisted that while he bit her, it was a “love bite” and claimed he had not touched her inappropriately.

In the prosecution’s closing arguments, the lawyer portrayed Barrientos as an “entitled” celebrity who had gravely violated the woman. On the other hand, his defense attorney flagged inconsistencies in the complaint, labeling the accuser’s evidence as embellished and untrue.

Barrientos is known for his involvement with the YouTube collective Beta Squad and has appeared on several popular UK television programs.