There’s a relatively new name in New Zealand’s T20 team this year. Scott Kuggeleijn picked a wicket and scored 35 runs in the home fixture against Sri Lanka last month but has had a wicketless stint in the two matches he’s played against India so far.
However, that is not the reason the crowd stops their applause and starts booing instead when his name is announced along with the rest of his team before a match.
Scott Kuggeleijn was accused of raping a woman in a Hamilton East flat on 17 May 2015. The case went to trial in 2016 where there was a hung jury, and again in 2017, when the jury declared him not guilty.
However, the evidence against Kuggeleijn and the victim’s testimony were enough for some of those who followed the case to form a strong opinion against the cricketer.
The victim, a woman Kuggeleijn met at a bar in Hamilton, was not known to him before the incident. They met there on 17 May 2015 before going back to her apartment where she claimed he raped her.
In her testimony, the victim claimed she said no ‘dozens of times’ but Kuggeleijn did not stop. He, however, denied this saying, “I tried (having sex) twice, like she might have said 'no, no' a few times but it wasn't dozens of times.”
After leaving her apartment, Kuggeleijn sent her a text message the next day through a mutual friend. In the message he admitted to being persistent and apologised.
“I heard you felt you couldn’t say no and were pressured into things. It’s pretty chilling to hear and think of myself in that kind of light, but looking back I was pretty persistent. I’m so so sorry and it has made me think about a few things. I hope you are OK and I’m sorry for the harm mentally I have caused you.”Scott Kuggeleijn’s message to the vicitim
In the 2017 trial that was heard over five days, Kuggeleijn told the court that the alleged rape victim was “provocatively dressed” and “looking for male attention” when they met at the bar.
Asked what he meant by using the word “provocative” Kuggeleijn replied “she was just quite revealing, you know.” And told to elaborate on why he thought she was “looking for male attention”, he said “she was just, yeah, very close to you when she talked, and talked about a lot of things that a lot of others wouldn't”.
The jury comprising six men and six women eventually ruled in favour of the cricketer who was cleared of all charges.
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