Three Melbourne men who plead guilty to the rape of a 17-year-old backpacker in Croatia have avoided jail time by agreeing to pay restitution of $AU 31,594 to the victim.
Dylan Djohan (above), 23, Ashwin Kumar, 23, and Waleed Latif, 21, were arrested in July of 2015 after assaulting the Norwegian girl in a bar in the port town of Split, and had their passports confiscated.
The trio made guilty pleas, but under the terms of an agreement between local prosecutors and their defence lawyers, their one-year sentence was commuted to a five-year good behaviour bond.
The men were also required to pay the sum of €20,000 to their victim, and while legal experts say that deals such as this are common in Croatian criminal cases, the move has sparked outrage locally.
Sanja Sarnavka, a campaigner for women’s rights in the country, condemned the settlement, saying:
“If they can afford it, those who are indicted will pay for the best lawyers, pay the damages and receive a minimum sentence or even go free. In a democratic state, everyone should have the same treatment, regardless of their wealth or assets.”
The three recently arrived home in Australia, where their good behaviour bond is not enforceable.
Story: Fairfax
Photo: Social Media
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual or domestic violence, you can speak to a friendly counsellor at 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
