Laffranchi charged over sexual assault

[The Tank]

sh*t...

FORMER Wests Tigers forward Anthony Laffranchi has been charged over the sexual assault of a woman at a team-mate's Five Dock unit.

Laffranchi, 26, now with the Gold Coast Titans, voluntarily attended Burwood police station this morning to be interviewed over the alleged sexual assault six months ago.

After several hours of questioning he was then charged with one count of sexual assault on a 26-year-old woman on September 4 last year.

The woman was allegedly attacked after accompanying a group of Wests Tigers players back to Wests player Ryan O’Hara’s William St unit during last year’s “Mad Monday’’ end-of-season celebrations, in which Tigers players celebrated their finals win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

There is no suggestion O’Hara was involved in the alleged assault.

The woman had allegedly been at the Sapphire Suite in Kings Cross the previous night, a Sunday, and attended Parramatta police station at 10.40am on the following morning.

It was alleged she woke up in the unit with her clothing having been interfered with, raising her suspicions she had been sexually assaulted and possibly drugged.

The Child Protection and Sex Crimes Squad as well as Burwood police have conducted a long-running investigation, and in December interviewed three South Sydney Rabbitohs players.

While there is no allegation against Rabbitohs’ players or suggestion they were even at O’Hara’s unit when the alleged assault took place, several had been present at the Sapphire Suite on that Sunday night and were asked to describe the alleged victim’s interaction with Tigers players.

Laffranchi was granted conditional bail to face Burwood Local Court on March 27.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21334118-5001021,00.html

 

[skeepe]

Yikes. Looks like it's possible there was something to it after all....

 

[yobbo84]

If he doesn't get sacked it's a f**king disgrace.

 

[skeepe]

Sacked and deregistered one would think, given the Dane Tilse precedent.

 

[The Camden Leisure Pirate]

Holey Dooley

 

[mongoose]

canberra will give him a contract

 

[willvillain]

The woman was allegedly attacked after accompanying a group of Wests Tigers players back to Wests player Ryan O’Hara’s William St unit during last year’s “Mad Monday’’ end-of-season celebrations, in which Tigers players celebrated their finals win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

I know it's just me being picky, but that's a poor error.

Also - I'm not going to comment on the case, because it's still early days and I'd rather steer clear of defamatory crap but in my opinion Laffranchi is the second most important forward at the Titans (and really, they only have two good forwards) so if they lose him from this, or even if it means that his mind isn't on the job 100%, then the Titans will be in plenty of trouble.

 

[Quint]

If he played with the Dragons his career would be safe...

 

[Quidgybo]

Oh for pity's sake, not now. Not on the eve of the new season and the game's triumphant return to the Gold Coast. Please, please, please Titans stand the bloke down on full pay straight away and pack him off to somewhere quiet and well away from the Coast and the club until this is all sorted out one way or the other. No matter whether he is guilty or innocent this just can't be allowed to become the talk of the town just when the club is laying its foundation for the next twenty years.

Leigh.

 

[brooksy19]

Crikey. For some reason he was the one i suspected least.

 

[Pedro Collins]

Sad, sad news if it's the truth. I was hopeful that the incident did not occur for the sake of the girl, league and those who were no doubt massively drunk. No excuses though.

If found guilty he might not only spend time away from the field but in the big house.

 

[Mr Angry]

I saw that mistake too, and wondered if PL had the teams playing.

Not good.

Why sack him? Wes played the other night and he has been partly incarcerated.

It justs makes my head shake at what the NRL will deregister and what they will let be.

That said, if he did, may the law do it's thing.

 

[Willow]

Here we go again... people assuming guilt. It never ceases to amaze how people are so easily led by a headline.

Let me spell it out for one and all:

alleged assault

It may be true, it may not be true. Please keep it in perspective.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Tilse's case set the precident. Sacked and de-registered.

Edit: But as Willow stated above, only once he has been proven unrevokeably guilty.

 

[The Camden Leisure Pirate]

Didn't he get married after they won the GF?

 

[Quidgybo]

Here we go again... people assuming guilt. It never ceases to amaze how easily you lot led by a headline.

Let me spell it out for one and all:

alleged assault

It may be true, it may not be true. Please keep it in perspective.

Dead right. He may be *completely* innocent. Or he may be guilty. That's for the courts to decide and until they do I don't think any permanent action such as sacking and deregistration is justified (especially given he was not an employee of the Titans at the time and therefore could not have broken the Titan's code of conduct). But that does not preclude the club protecting it's public image and distancing itself from any involvement in this matter. Suspend the employee but on full pay. The presumption of innocence demands that he not lose his livelihood and means of funding his legal defence just because of the accusation. But until this very serious and damaging charge is resolved one way another he should have no further involvement with club or the game. Pack him off well away from the Coast until it's over.

Leigh.

 

[Mr Angry]

He has been charged after 6 months of investigations Willow.

Yes it is alleged, but obviously the police are taking it pretty seriously.

Innocent until then, no question.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

If he played with the Dragons his career would be safe...

D!ckhead post of the year thus far.

His fate at the Titans, or league in general, should only be decided after a fair trial in a court of law.

 

[Mr Saab]

Dane Tilse will take a storng interest in this.
He wasnt even charged and he was punted for 2005.

 

[Dogaholic]

The West's Tigers Club has brought the game into disrepute and should be fined accordingly. Ray Hadley and Rebecca Wilson also need to blow this story out of all proportion. This was the standard set by the NRL without any charges being filed against any Bulldogs player in the Coff's fiasco.