Two men accused of sexually assaulting a drunk woman after picking her up from a nightclub in Darwin, NT
Consensus Summary
Two men, Panormitis Charalampis and Michael Vrouvis, were accused of sexually assaulting a woman they picked up while she waited for an Uber outside Mayberry nightclub in Darwin on January 14, 2024. The woman, whose identity is suppressed, had been drinking heavily and was found severely intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration between 0.1 and 0.15 when she reached her apartment. CCTV footage showed her struggling to walk and lying on the ground after being picked up by the men, who she mistakenly believed were her Uber drivers. The trial, which lasted seven days, centered on whether the woman was too drunk to consent to sexual activity over an eight-hour period. Prosecutors argued the men exploited her intoxication, while the defense claimed the woman initiated contact and was capable of consent. After nearly seven hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously acquitted both men, finding reasonable doubt about whether the woman was incapable of consenting due to her memory gaps and behavior. The verdict hinged on conflicting interpretations of her intoxication levels, her fragmented testimony, and the menâs claims that she was fully aware and consenting.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Panormitis Charalampis and Michael Vrouvis were charged with four counts each of sexual intercourse without consent in the Northern Territory Supreme Court
- The incident occurred on January 14, 2024, after the woman left Mayberry nightclub in Darwinâs CBD around 3:30am and ordered an Uber
- The two men picked up the woman outside the nightclub, believing she was their Uber driverâs passenger, and took her to her apartment
- The womanâs blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was estimated between 0.1 and 0.15 when she reached her apartment block with the men
- CCTV footage showed the woman lying on the ground and needing assistance to walk after being picked up by the men
- The trial lasted seven days, with the jury hearing testimony from the woman, the men, and expert witnesses
- Both men pleaded not guilty, maintaining the sexual encounters were consensual
- The jury deliberated for nearly seven hours before delivering a unanimous not-guilty verdict on all charges
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Panormitis Charalampis testified he felt a 'duty' to ensure the woman got home safely and claimed she initiated sexual activity by grabbing his arm
- Charalampis testified he did not understand the English word 'gross' when the woman allegedly said it to him during the assault
- Charalampis testified he and Vrouvis smoked in the CBD and noticed the woman sitting on the curb, believing she 'needed help'
- Crown prosecutor Rebecca Everitt questioned Charalampis on whether he knew the woman was 'very drunk' and repeatedly pushed the idea that he should have recognized her incapacity to consent
- The womanâs memory was described as 'fragmented and punctuated by black spots' with a BAC range of 0.1 to 0.15
- Justice Judith Kelly noted that Vrouvisâs lawyer argued the womanâs behavior (e.g., walking naked onto a balcony) was inconsistent with her claim of being raped
- The womanâs mother and housemate provided testimony during the trial
- Charalampis testified he could 'understand English more than I can speak it' and gave evidence through a translator
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 1 states the womanâs BAC was between 0.1 and 0.15 when she reached her apartment block, but Article 3 states the expert witness Jane Goodman-Delahunty determined her BAC was between 0.2 and 0.1 (likely a typo in Article 3, but the range is inconsistent)
- Article 1 reports the womanâs BAC was 'in the high to severe range' (0.1-0.15), while Article 3 describes it as 'severe intoxication' without specifying the exact range
- Article 1 states the woman âpassed out in the car and required assistance walking,â but Article 2âs closing arguments emphasize the woman âwalked across the road and got into the back seat of the carâ without assistance, contradicting the need for help
- Article 1 reports the woman âbelieved the men were her Uber driver and his friend,â while Article 3 does not mention this belief explicitly
- Article 1 states the woman âtold them they were gross and told them to leave,â but Article 2âs closing arguments focus on the womanâs fragmented memory and lack of clarity on this claim
Source Articles
Jury clears men accused of raping intoxicated woman waiting for an Uber
Two men accused of raping a young woman they picked up while she waited for an Uber have been acquitted on all charges by a Northern Territory jury....
Man accused of raping woman in her apartment testifies 'she wasn't that drunk'
Panormitis Charalampis, co-accused of picking up an intoxicated young woman from outside a nightclub while she was waiting for an uber and sexually assaulting her at her apartment, took the stand, und...
Trial of two men accused of rape in Darwin hears closing arguments
The jury in the trial of two men accused of picking up a young woman waiting for an Uber after a night out and raping her in her home has heard closing submissions....