Prosecutors appeal UWA law graduate's suspended sentence
A University of Western Australia law graduate who was spared jail after admitting to raping a fellow student at Rottnest Island could be thrown behind bars after the state's highest court heard he was wrongly shown mercy.
Luigi Rayapen was handed a two-year suspended sentence in December.
Today, prosecutors launched an appeal, arguing the 26-year-old's remorse wasn't deeply genuine.
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Luigi Rayapen was handed a two-year suspended sentence in December 2022 after admitting to raping a fellow student at Rottnest Island. Supplied
Rayapen ignored his then-21-year-old victim's repeated pleas to stop, responding "why?"
The Crown argues Rayapen's actions the day after the assault attempted to "minimise" his wrongdoing and that after the attack, at an end-of-semester party, Rayapen messaged a friend saying "we are blokes, we have urges, I'll make it up to her".
Prosecutors also say the sex attacker was given too much credit for his guilty plea, which came two years after the assault and just hours before his trial was due to begin.
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Luigi Rayapen, who was handed a two-year suspended sentence in December 2022 after admitting to raping a fellow student at Rottnest Island, appeared in court in Perth on Monday, March 27, 2023. 9News
Rayapen's lawyers maintain his remorse was of the highest level.
The Court of Appeal reserved its decision until the middle of next month.
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