‘Not that easy’: Tom Silvagni’s rape victim speaks out about the toll of the high-profile trial
The victim of rapist Tom Silvagni has shared on social media the heartbreaking impact the high-profile criminal case has had on her life.
The unidentified woman said she wanted to speak out so other sexual assault victims would understand that their feelings are normal.
Silvagni, 23, was convicted last year of two counts of rape following an attack on a mansion owned by his famous parents, AFL icon Stephen Silvagni and television presenter Jo Silvagni, on January 14, 2024.
He was sentenced in the Victorian County Court in December to a maximum of six years and two months behind bars, with a minimum sentence of three years and three months.
Silvagni has always maintained his innocence and is appealing his conviction.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
This week the woman said legal reasons had previously prevented her from speaking out, but noted that many of her followers were victims of sexual assault.
“I’m here to share how I feel because I hope it’s something you can relate to,” she said in a video.
The woman said she was still “struck” after the repeated ordeal.
“I know my social posts may seem like I’m going out…always having fun and trying to move on with my life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have moments like that. That’s normal,” she said.
“I think it’s been two months since the trial ended and there was a verdict and a sentence, maybe just over. It all happened so quickly, so it was like a whirlwind of everything… it’s all very surreal.”
The woman said she often told herself to move on, live life and “enjoy some sense of justice,” but it was difficult.
“It’s not that easy, and I want to share that with anyone who is watching this who might be in the same situation as me because I know showing what it feels like will probably bring some comfort,” she said.
The woman said her “brain physically couldn’t process” the outcome of the trial and that it would “probably take some time” to do so.
“I still feel mentally drained and exhausted from everything, feeling as bad as I feel in the middle of everything, so I’m making this video because I just want you to know that if you feel the same, that’s normal,” she said.
“I just went back to work a month ago and I’m exhausted, I don’t even work that hard, I work casually, exhausted, everything seems to consume 10 times more energy.
“I know I haven’t talked about it too much on social media, for legal reasons of course, because technically it’s still ongoing, it hasn’t been fully finalized, so I probably won’t talk too much about it, but I don’t mind sharing moments like that on my social media.”
The woman added that she still felt exhausted and mentally drained.
“I’m sorry if you ever end up in this position, but I hope, if you are, then you can take some comfort in knowing that it’s normal how you’re feeling because I feel like a wreck, collapsing,” she said.
Judge Gregory Lyon said Silvagni’s crimes were “determined by planning, cunning and strategy” after the opportunity arose.
The jury was told the woman was invited by Silvagni’s girlfriend Alannah Iaconis and then decided to spend the night in a spare bedroom.
After a friend with whom he had a casual sexual relationship broke up, Silvagni got into bed with the woman and digitally raped her twice.
In the days that followed, Judge Lyon said Silvagni began a campaign of deception and diversion, including altering an Uber bill to claim his friend was staying over and encouraging him to “take responsibility for his actions”.
“Deceptively denying another person’s free agreement to engage in sexual activity is insidious,” the judge said.
“It is callous to deny free agreement through protest and restriction.
“Both courses of action, together with your subsequent behavior, demonstrate a genuine lack of empathy for your victim.”
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