Australian prosecutors announced that British rapper and YouTuber Yung Filly, whose legal name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, will face a retrial on three rape charges. The decision follows a previous trial in which a jury was unable to reach a verdict on those specific counts while acquitting him of several other charges.
The charges stem from an incident in 2024 following Barrientos’s performance at a nightclub in Hillarys, a suburb of Perth, Australia. Barrientos, 31, was on tour in the country at the time of the allegations. He denied all 10 charges brought against him, maintaining that the sexual encounter with a 20-year-old fan in his hotel room was consensual.
In the initial trial, which concluded last month, the jury found Barrientos not guilty of three counts of rape, one count of assault, and one count of strangulation. However, the jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of assault. The prosecution stated that the complainant is willing to provide evidence again in the upcoming retrial for the three remaining rape charges where no decision was reached.
During the proceedings, prosecutor Danielle Clarke characterized Barrientos as an "entitled" individual who violated the complainant, while defense counsel argued the accuser's testimony contained "inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies." Barrientos, a member of the YouTube collective Beta Squad known for appearances on Channel 4 and BBC Three, told the court the "vibes were good" between him and the woman prior to the alleged incident.
The scale of the legal proceedings involves a total of 10 original charges, of which five resulted in acquittals, two resulted in convictions, and three remain pending for the retrial. The retrial will require the complainant to return to court to give evidence for a second time, a process the prosecution confirmed she is willing to undergo. The case has also impacted Barrientos's professional standing as a public figure with a "moderate degree of fame" across television and digital platforms in the United Kingdom and Australia.
For the public and legal observers, the case highlights the application of Australian law regarding sexual assault and the use of retrials when juries are deadlocked. The next concrete step in the legal process is scheduled for August 27, when Barrientos is expected to appear in court for an application to vary his bail conditions. A specific date for the commencement of the retrial has not yet been set by the West Australian court. Barrientos remains subject to court-ordered bail terms while awaiting these future dates.