British rapper and social media personality Yung Filly is set to face a retrial in Australia over three rape charges after a jury was unable to reach verdicts on the allegations during his first trial.

The entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, appeared before the District Court of Western Australia in Perth following an eight-day trial last month. The proceedings centred on allegations made by a woman who was 20 at the time of the alleged incident in September 2024.

Filly, who is now 31, has denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to the charges. His first trial resulted in a mixed outcome, with jurors acquitting him of several offences while finding him guilty of two assault charges.

However, the jury could not reach decisions on three of the six charges relating to allegations that he sexually penetrated the woman without her consent. Prosecutors have now confirmed that those three unresolved charges will be put before a new trial. The retrial means the allegations that were not resolved during the original proceedings will now return to court, with the prosecution and defence expected to present their respective cases again.

The woman involved in the case has agreed to give evidence again, according to reports, meaning she is prepared to return to court as the legal process continues.

The development comes just weeks after Filly was cleared of three other charges relating to sexual penetration without consent. He was also found not guilty of one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm and one charge relating to impeding the woman's breathing.

At the same time, however, he was convicted of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. Those convictions relate to allegations that he bit the woman on parts of her body during the encounter. The jury found him guilty of those two offences after considering evidence during the eight-day trial.

Filly's sentence for those convictions has been postponed until the outstanding rape charges have been dealt with.

WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE ORIGINAL CASE

The allegations stem from an encounter between Filly and the woman after he performed at a nightclub in Perth in September 2024.

The court heard that the pair had met in a VIP area of a nightclub before later going to the hotel where Filly was staying. During the original trial, the woman alleged that what initially began as consensual sexual activity later became non-consensual.

Prosecutors argued that the situation changed after the woman became concerned that Filly was recording her. The prosecution alleged that Filly then became aggressive, with the woman claiming that she was bitten and assaulted during the encounter. The court heard allegations that she was bitten repeatedly on areas including her face and neck, while prosecutors also alleged that she was bitten on her breast, causing an open wound and bruising.

Filly was also accused of choking and slapping the woman during the encounter, with prosecutors alleging that the sexual activity became non-consensual after the alleged violence began.

The prosecution case centred on the claim that the woman initially consented to sexual activity but later withdrew that consent and that Filly continued despite her wishes. The three unresolved charges relate specifically to allegations of sexual penetration without consent.

Filly gave evidence during his original trial and denied the allegations. He admitted biting the woman, but maintained that the sexual activity was consensual.

The jury ultimately reached different conclusions on the various allegations, resulting in the mixed verdict that has now led to a retrial on the three charges where no verdict was reached.

FILLY'S MIXED VERDICT

The first trial did not result in Filly being convicted of the rape allegations as a whole.

Jurors found him not guilty of three of the six charges of sexual penetration without consent. They were also unable to reach verdicts on the remaining three charges, which are now due to be reconsidered at a retrial.

He was additionally acquitted of one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm and one charge of impeding the woman's breathing by applying pressure to her neck. However, two assault charges were proven to the jury's satisfaction, resulting in guilty verdicts. The distinction between the different charges is significant because the three rape allegations being taken to retrial are not charges on which Filly was previously found guilty. The jury was unable to reach a decision on those specific allegations, meaning the prosecution will now have another opportunity to present its case.

Filly remains legally presumed innocent of the unresolved allegations unless and until they are proven in court.

The retrial is therefore separate from the convictions already recorded against him for the two assault offences. His sentencing for those convictions will take place after the outstanding proceedings have concluded.

PROSECUTORS CONFIRM RETRIAL

During a court appearance this week, prosecutors confirmed they would proceed with a retrial on the three unresolved charges.

The case is expected to return to the District Court of Western Australia, with a further hearing scheduled for 25 September to address the listing of the retrial.

A separate hearing concerning a variation to Filly's bail conditions is due to take place on 27 August.

He remains on bail while the legal proceedings continue and has returned to the UK after being charged in Australia. The court will also have to determine how the retrial should proceed, with discussions expected to take place over whether the case should be heard by another judge and jury or under a different format.

The decision comes after the first jury was unable to reach unanimous verdicts on the three outstanding allegations.

A hung jury does not amount to a finding of guilt or innocence. Instead, it means jurors were unable to reach the required verdict, leaving the prosecution able to seek a new trial in accordance with Australian law.

The alleged victim has indicated that she is willing to give evidence again, which means the prosecution's case can proceed with her testimony forming part of the evidence considered by the court.

FRESH CHARGE ALSO REPORTED

Alongside the retrial proceedings, Filly has also been hit with a fresh charge relating to alleged possession of cannabis.

The additional allegation was reported following the latest developments in the case and represents a separate legal matter from the unresolved rape charges. Details surrounding the new allegation remain limited, and it is not connected to the original accusations concerning the woman in Perth.

The focus of the upcoming retrial will remain on the three sexual penetration charges on which the first jury could not reach decisions.

HOW THE CASE BEGAN

Filly was arrested in Brisbane in October 2024 after travelling to Australia for a tour. He had been performing across the country when the allegations were made, with the alleged incident taking place following his performance in Perth. He was subsequently extradited to Western Australia to face the charges.

The case quickly attracted significant public attention because of Filly's profile in the UK, where he has established himself as a prominent YouTuber, presenter, musician and social media personality.

Filly became widely known through online content and his involvement with the British YouTube group The Wall of Entertainment, before building a solo career across music, television and digital media. He has presented programmes for the BBC and has developed a large following through platforms including YouTube and Instagram, while also releasing music under the name Yung Filly.

His popularity has meant the Australian court proceedings have been closely followed by fans and members of the public in both Australia and the UK.

However, the serious nature of the allegations has also placed the case under intense scrutiny, particularly given the disparity between Filly's public image and the accusations being made against him.

WHY THE CASE HAS ATTRACTED ATTENTION

Filly's legal case has become controversial largely because of the seriousness of the allegations and his status as a well-known public figure.

Before the Australian proceedings, he had built a career around entertainment and social media, with a public persona that had made him particularly popular among younger audiences.

The allegations therefore represented a dramatic change in the nature of the coverage surrounding him. His supporters have continued to follow the case closely, while the court proceedings have focused on evidence surrounding the alleged encounter and the circumstances in which consent was said to have been given and later withdrawn.

The first trial also demonstrated why it is important to distinguish between the individual allegations. Filly was acquitted of three rape charges and two other offences, while being convicted of two assault offences and facing a retrial on three further rape charges.

The mixed verdict means there was no single finding covering every allegation brought against him.

The prosecution will now seek to resolve the three charges that remained undecided after the first trial, while Filly will have the opportunity to defend himself against those allegations again.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The next stage of the case will take place later this month, when Filly is due to return to court for a hearing concerning his bail conditions.

A further court appearance is then expected in September, when the case will be considered for listing for the retrial.

The exact format and timing of the new trial will be determined through the Australian court process. Until then, Filly remains on bail and is not facing a conviction for the three unresolved rape charges.

His existing convictions for two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm remain separate from the retrial, with sentencing on those offences postponed until the outstanding proceedings have concluded.

The case has already lasted almost two years since the alleged incident in Perth, and the retrial means the legal process surrounding the three unresolved allegations will continue. As proceedings move forward, the court will once again examine the evidence surrounding the encounter between Filly and the woman, with the prosecution seeking verdicts on the charges that the original jury could not resolve.

Filly continues to deny the rape allegations, and the retrial will determine whether the prosecution is able to establish those charges to the required legal standard.