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WA beautician sex assault trial nears end

A WA District Court jury is deliberating the case of a beauty salon worker accused of sexually assaulting clients during Brazilian treatments.

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Source: AAP


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A jury is considering its verdict in the case of a male beauty salon worker accused of sexually assaulting women while giving them hair removal treatments.

Don Chaminda Prabath Subasinghe, 43, has been on trial in the West Australian District Court for nine days, charged with more than a dozen counts of sexual penetration without consent, alleged to have occurred between November 2010 and February 2011.

Subasinghe was performing laser treatment, also known as IPL, on nine women when he touched their vaginas.

During the trial, defence lawyer Tom Percy told the jury that touching the innermost areas of the womens' genitals was inevitable during the Brazilian treatment.

None had told him to stop or looked distressed when they left the salon, Mr Percy said.

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And it beggared belief that while they claimed to have felt uncomfortable, the women made further appointments.

The court heard all of the women did not immediately complain and most were contacted by police after two initial complaints.

But Judge Stephen George Scott told the jury there could be good reasons for a delayed complaint.

One of the women had said she "just wanted to forget it" and another thought Subasinghe's digital penetration was an accident.

Another said she "felt like an idiot" because she let him continue and didn't want her boyfriend to know.

"Delaying complaining does not necessarily mean ... that what she alleged is false," Judge Scott said on Tuesday in his directions to the jury.

Some told the court they had orgasms and were left feeling distressed, angry, embarrassed and disgusted.

The jury began deliberating at 11.30am (WST) and may need to continue deliberations on Wednesday if a verdict isn't delivered by 5.30pm (WST).


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