Survivor speaks out after attacker sentenced

Anastasia Treharne says she feels unsafe in her own home.

The 23-year-old professional dancer was raped by Justin Downs in 2022 after meeting him in Sydney through a dating app.

“We met on Bumble,” she said.

“We just got to talking of what our plans were for that night and we ended up just organising that I’d go over to his.

“We were drinking, we were just talking to each other, yeah, seemed normal enough.

“We started kissing on the bench and we went to the bedroom and it started as consensual sex.”

Things took a turn and Treharne told Downs to stop but he refused.

Treharne says when the assault ended she fled to a nearby petrol station where a friend picked her up.

“I just wanted to get as far away as possible,” she said.

Treharne went straight to a hospital and reported the incident to police the following morning.

After four years and a lengthy trial, Downs was found guilty of one count of rape.

Treharne was relieved by the verdict, but she wasn’t prepared for what came next.

Downs was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order, avoiding jail time.

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Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).