Parramatta Eels player Jarryd Hayne will face court in 2020 in relation to the alleged 2015 rape of a young woman, a US judge has announced.
San Jose District Court Judge Lucy Koh said on Wednesday the civil case will go to trial on January 27, 2020. The trial is scheduled to last five days.
It has been proposed that several of Hayne’s friends undergo deposition in Australia, a lengthy process which will contribute to the amount of time before the case goes to trial.
Hayne, who played for the San Francisco 49ers NFL team at the time of the alleged incident, was named in the lawsuit last December by a woman identified to the court as JV.
It is alleged Hayne met JV at a San Jose bar while partying with teammates, before he and JV took an Uber back to his accomodation. JV alleges that she was heavily intoxicated at the time, and that he perpetrated a sexual assault that caused her pain for months afterwards.
Hayne has categorically denied the accusation, saying that they engaged in a consensual sexual interaction that didn’t involve sexual intercourse. Previously, he filed legal documents saying JV gave “implied consent”.
JV spoke to San Jose police about the alleged incident in 2016, but authorities did not move forward with criminal charges against Hayne.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages from Hayne. The exact figure sought is yet to be finalised.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom on Wednesday, JV’s lawyer Micha Star Liberty said “I think what she would like to see is some sort of acknowledgment of the damage that was done to her and that will allow her to move forward.”
If you would like to talk to a counsellor about sexual assault, give the people over at 1800 RESPECT a call on 1800 737 732.
