In a Perth courtroom, a jury has returned a fractured verdict in the case of British-Colombian social media personality Yung Filly — acquitting him of the gravest sexual charges while finding him guilty of two counts of assault, and leaving three rape counts unresolved. The case, arising from a 2024 hotel encounter following a nightclub performance, places the familiar tensions of fame, consent, and credibility at the center of public reckoning. A 20-year-old woman carries physical marks of the night in question; a 30-year-old man with millions of followers now awaits sentencing, while prosecu
Yung Filly acquitted of rape but convicted of assault in Perth case
A 20-year-old woman was physically assaulted, sustaining bite marks and bruises to her face and neck during the incident.
An entitled man with moderate fame who violated her in the most intrusive way possible
Mark
The jury acquitted him of the most serious charges but convicted him of assault. What does that split verdict actually tell us about what the jury believed happened?
Mimi
It suggests they believed something violent did occur—the bruises and bite marks were real, the physical harm was real—but they weren't convinced beyond reasonable doubt that it met the legal threshold for sexual penetration without consent. Assault is still a serious conviction, but it's a different category of harm in the law's eyes.
Mark
Three rape counts hung. What does that mean for the woman who made the accusation?
Mimi
It means the jury couldn't agree on those charges. Some jurors may have believed her entirely; others may have had reasonable doubt. Now prosecutors have to decide whether to retry those three counts, which means potentially putting her through another trial, or accept the convictions they have.
Mark
His defence argued her testimony was full of lies and inconsistencies. Did the jury believe that?
Mimi
Not entirely. They convicted him on assault, which means they found her account of the violence credible enough. But on the sexual penetration charges, something in her evidence or the legal burden of proof didn't land the same way. The jury's job is to apply a very high standard—beyond reasonable doubt—and apparently that standard wasn't met on those counts.
Mark
He's a significant public figure. Does that matter to how we read this verdict?
Mimi
The prosecutor explicitly named it—called him "entitled" because of his fame. Whether that framing helped or hurt his case, we don't know. But yes, the fact that millions of people follow him online, that he has platforms and visibility, adds weight to what happened in that hotel room.
Der Puls
- A young woman's account of violence — bite marks, bruises, a plea to stop — was partially believed by the jury, enough to convict on assault but not enough to reach unanimity on rape.
- Three rape counts remain in legal limbo, with jurors deadlocked and prosecutors now holding the consequential decision of whether to seek a retrial.
- The courtroom heard two sharply opposed realities: a prosecutor describing an entitled man who violated a woman in the most intrusive way possible, and a defence team dismantling the accuser's credibility as inconsistent and embellished.
- Barrientos wept as the verdict was read — a man whose platform spans millions of followers now facing the concrete possibility of prison, with a sentencing date to be set on August 21.
- The case exposes the precarious intersection of celebrity culture and accountability, as a figure known for lighthearted content was permitted to return to the UK for four months mid-proceedings before standing trial.
In a Perth courtroom, a jury has returned a fractured verdict in the case of British-Colombian social media personality Yung Filly — acquitting him of the gravest sexual charges while finding him guilty of two counts of assault, and leaving three rape counts unresolved. The case, arising from a 2024 hotel encounter following a nightclub performance, places the familiar tensions of fame, consent, and credibility at the center of public reckoning. A 20-year-old woman carries physical marks of the night in question; a 30-year-old man with millions of followers now awaits sentencing, while prosecutors weigh whether to pursue what the jury could not decide.
A jury in Western Australia has delivered a divided verdict against Yung Filly — the British YouTuber whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos — acquitting him of three counts of sexual penetration without consent while convicting him of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. Three additional rape counts remain unresolved after jurors could not reach agreement. Barrientos, 30, wept as the verdict was announced.
The incident took place in 2024 after Barrientos performed at a nightclub in Hillarys, Perth. A 20-year-old woman later went to his hotel room, where, she alleged, consensual contact gave way to violence — repeated biting, bruising, and an attempt to choke her. Photographs of bite marks and bruises on her face and neck were shown to the court. Barrientos acknowledged the biting but called them love bites, denied she had asked him to stop, and described the atmosphere between them as positive.
Prosecutor Danielle Clarke portrayed him as an entitled man who had violated the woman in the most intrusive way imaginable. His defence countered by challenging the accuser's credibility, citing inconsistencies and embellishments in her testimony.
Born in Colombia and raised in the UK, Barrientos built his profile through the YouTube collective Beta Squad and appearances on BBC Three, amassing nearly two million YouTube subscribers and millions more across TikTok and Instagram. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was acquitted of strangulation as well.
Prosecutors must now decide whether to retry the three hung counts. Barrientos remains on bail and returns to court August 21, when a sentencing date for the two assault convictions will be set.
A jury in Western Australia has delivered a split verdict in the case against Yung Filly, the British YouTuber and social media personality whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos. On Friday, the court found him not guilty of three counts of sexual penetration without consent—the most serious charges he faced—but convicted him of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. The verdict leaves three additional rape counts unresolved, with jurors unable to reach agreement on those charges. Barrientos, 30, cried as the verdict was read in court.
The incident occurred in 2024 after Barrientos performed at a nightclub in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth. A 20-year-old woman attended the concert and later went to his hotel room. The prosecution's case centered on what happened there: the woman alleged that after consensual sexual contact began, Barrientos became violent, biting her repeatedly, bruising her, and attempting to choke her. She told him to stop, she said. Photographs presented to the court showed bite marks and bruises on her face and neck. The woman cannot be named for legal reasons.
Barrientos's account differed substantially. He acknowledged biting her but characterized these as "love bites" rather than assault. He denied that she had repeatedly asked him to stop. He also explained that his security guard had taken her phone when they arrived at the hotel—a measure he described as standard practice to protect privacy. He maintained that the "vibes were good" between them and that he had not touched her inappropriately at the concert, though he did recall placing his hand on her waist while they were in the VIP area.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Danielle Clarke characterized Barrientos as an "entitled" man with a "moderate degree of fame" who had violated the woman "in the most intrusive way possible." His defence lawyer countered by attacking the accuser's credibility, arguing her testimony contained "inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies."
Barrientos, who was born in Colombia and raised in the UK, has built a substantial following across multiple platforms. He is known for his work with the YouTube collective Beta Squad and has appeared on the celebrity version of the British baking competition and presented shows for BBC Three. He has 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, three million TikTok followers, and 2.4 million on Instagram. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He was also acquitted of one count of assault occasioning bodily harm and of strangulation. The three hung verdicts on rape charges now fall to prosecutors to decide: they must choose whether to pursue a retrial on those counts or let them stand. Barrientos remains on bail and will return to court on August 21, when the judge will set a sentencing date for the two assault convictions. He has been permitted to remain free since being charged, and was even allowed to return to the UK for four months before coming back to Australia for trial.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I recall putting my hand on her waist, but I did not put my hands down her pants or touch her breast— Barrientos, testifying about his conduct at the concert venue
An entitled man with a moderate degree of fame who violated the fan in the most intrusive way possible— Prosecutor Danielle Clarke, in closing arguments
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