Murad Merali has broken down the key developments from the opening day of Yung Filly's rape trial after revealing that members of his team were inside Perth District Court taking notes as proceedings got under way. Yung Filly, whose real name is Andrés Felipe Valencia Barrientos, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Beginning his video with a trigger warning, Merali warned viewers that the evidence heard in court was “quite intense” before summarising the prosecution’s opening case.

“My team is directly in the courthouse in Perth whilst the Yung Filly trial has begun and I’ve got access to a significant amount of court notes,” he said.

“Graphic warning, trigger warning because a lot of the information is quite intense.”

The trial centres on allegations relating to an incident following Yung Filly’s performance in Perth in September 2024. Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of impeding another person’s normal breathing.

According to Merali’s recap of proceedings, the complainant was 19 years old at the time of the alleged incident and met Filly after being invited into the VIP area of a nightclub.

“The woman has been confirmed to be at the age of 19 at the time when this event allegedly took place,” Merali explained. “She was a very big fan of him.”

The court heard the complainant believed she was being invited to an after-party before instead being taken to the InterContinental Hotel on Hay Street. Jurors were told the pair initially had consensual sex before prosecutors alleged the encounter became violent.

Merali told viewers the prosecution alleged Filly became increasingly aggressive, saying:

“The prosecution state he became very aggressive, biting her on her cheek, biting her on her neck and on her breast.”

According to the allegations heard in court, the complainant repeatedly asked him to stop but the alleged assault continued.

“The alleged victim began crying but he spat in her mouth and allegedly raped her anally three times,”

Merali said while summarising the prosecution’s case.

The court also heard allegations that Filly slapped the complainant across the face several times and forced her to repeat degrading phrases during the alleged assault. Merali later added that prosecutors alleged Filly repeatedly demanded the complainant say:

“I am Philly’s whore”, “I am a fat pig” and “I am fat.”

The jury further heard allegations that the complainant repeatedly told Filly:

“You’re hurting me,” but Merali said prosecutors alleged “he simply did not care.”

According to the court proceedings, the complainant later attended a medical centre before being referred to a sexual assault referral centre. Jurors were shown photographs taken during her examination, while police swabs collected during the investigation were also presented as evidence.

Merali highlighted one allegation that stood out during the hearing, telling viewers:

“There was very hard biting. The bite on her breast was so hard it broke her skin and she had to go to the hospital to get a tetanus shot.”

The complainant later gave evidence via video link, where the court heard she described the injuries she allegedly sustained during the incident.

“She appeared by video link and she said, ‘My face was beaten.’ She tried to cover her face but his grip was unfortunately too strong,” Merali recounted.

The content creator also shared another detail heard in court following the alleged assault. According to the prosecution, the complainant later messaged Filly on Instagram claiming she had left her keys in the hotel room.

However, Merali explained the court heard she later admitted there were no keys and that she simply wanted him to see what he had allegedly done to her. Jurors were told she did not receive a response.

Among the developments Merali found noteworthy was the defence’s decision not to make an opening statement on the first day of proceedings.

“What I thought was interesting was there was no opening statement from the defence lawyer,” he said, adding that cross-examination was expected to begin the following day.

Concluding his video, Merali reminded viewers that Filly denies every charge brought against him.

“Young Filly has denied all charges and has pleaded not guilty and he is presumed innocent as of now,” he said.

The trial is expected to continue throughout the week.

The allegations prompted strong reactions online, with many expressing sympathy for the complainant after hearing the evidence outlined during the prosecution’s opening. One person commented:

“I’m sorry but even if it was consensual sex, why are you getting off on physically harming a woman to the point of breaking her skin during sex? Some men need therapy ASAP.”

Another wrote:

“There is way too much evidence. I think he’s gotten too big for his boots and thought it’s another country so he could get away with it.”

A third added:

“Wow these details are horrific. Prayers to the young victim. No matter what, this aggression with a person you just met signifies serious issues that need punishment where proven but certainly clinical help is required urgently.”