- Ruon Tongik was acquitted of raping a woman in 2018
- Defender said allegations, trial caused ‘pain and suffering’
A Socceroos defender whose international hopes were cruelled by a ‘false’ rape allegation remains uncertain about his footballing future.
Former Western Sydney Wanderers central defender Ruon Tongyik held his hand to his mouth and hugged his partner after a Sydney District Court jury cleared him of raping a woman in his home in November 2018.
The 12 jurors took less than two hours to return not-guilty verdicts following a two-week trial that ended on Thursday.
The woman alleged she was blacked out and awoke to the footballer and a friend sexually assaulting her.
But the men’s lawyers suggested she was intent on being a professional footballer’s girlfriend who’d set about ruining Tongyik’s career.
She claimed rape to a friend a day before going public – the day after Tongyik, then 24, was selected to represent Australia in the men’s football team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
After being acquitted of rape in a Sydney court, former Socceroos defender Ruon Tongyik has admitted his football career could be over
The trial followed an alleged incident in 2018 with a woman the A-League star met on Instagram (Tongyik is pictured with his pregnant girlfriend Brooke Luff outside court)
He was soon after dropped from the squad and his two-game Socceroos career was put on ice.
The 28-year-old, who faced two aggravated sexual assault charges, was also stood down by the Wanderers when charged by police in 2023.
Speaking to reporters after the jury’s verdicts, Tongyik thanked his lawyers, his pregnant partner and the jurors ‘for believing me’.
‘The false allegations made against me have caused so much pain, suffering and destruction in my life over the last four years,’ the 80-game A-League player said.
‘Despite the difficulties, I have always believed that the truth will come to light.’
Having not played professional football since 2023 when on loan to an Iranian first division club, the former Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners back remains uncertain about his playing career.
Football website Transfermarkt estimates his market value has fallen from $780,000 to $130,000 since late 2021.
‘But what I do look forward to is being a father to our daughter and cherishing every moment with her,’ Tongyik said.
Tongyik thanked his lawyers, pregnant partner and the jurors for believing in him – and is now looking forward to becoming a father
His friend Mardochee Manirakiza was also acquitted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault.
The Adelaide-raised men denied allegations they teamed up to rape an intoxicated young woman, who met the A-League player through Instagram.
The men said the woman instigated a drinking game and engaged in foreplay with Tongyik, before having sex with the friend in a bedroom.
While the Crown portrayed the woman as an honest and impressive witness, the footballer’s barrister said her story jarred against other evidence from the day.
Crucially, she sent a text to her sister while in Tongyik’s house minutes after the alleged rape.
In response to the sister asking why she was where she was, the woman replied ‘d***’.
That text was the ‘biggest problem’ with the crown case, Tongyik’s barrister said.
‘This is three minutes after the sexual assault allegedly occurred,’ Georgia Huxley said.
‘She didn’t write, ‘I’ve been raped’, ‘rape’, ‘help’ or something else.
‘That is fatal to the crown case. You could find Mr Tongyik not guilty on the basis of this message alone.’
The acquitted men are expected to apply for legal costs.