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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Hannah Neale

Girl sent 'help, hurry, please' texts while allegedly being raped in alley

Marco Ciccardi leaves court on Monday. Picture by Hannah Neale

"Help. Stop us. Hurry. Please."

These are some of the messages a 17-year-old sent while she was allegedly being raped in an alleyway, documents tendered to the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday state.

Marco James Ciccardi, of Coombs, faces two charges of sexual intercourse without consent and two charges of common assault.

The 25-year-old is yet to enter pleas.

Police documents state the alleged victim, a 17-year-old girl, was drinking with friends at a Braddon bar on July 28.

The girl used another person's drivers licence as identification to gain entry and buy alcohol.

It is alleged the group first met Ciccardi on the dancefloor at Hopscotch, and he told the 17-year-old she was attractive.

The two danced and then kissed before sitting together at a booth with two of the girl's friends.

At 12.13am the group left Hopscotch and Ciccardi is said to have urged the girl to come home with him multiple times but she refused.

They later went to Cube nightclub, where the alleged victim was refused entry.

It was agreed the 17-year-old would meet her friends at Mooseheads in an hour and Ciccardi would walk her because she didn't know the way, the document states.

It is alleged Ciccardi led the girl away from London Circuit to the Petrie Plaza entrance to Tocumwal Lane.

Police claim Ciccardi then put his arms around the girl and tried to force her into the lane but she resisted and tried to push the man off.

Ciccardi then allegedly told her the lane was a shortcut to Mooseheads.

He is accused of then pushing her into a wall near bins and trying to pull her shorts down.

The girl allegedly told him to stop and made attempts to call and text her friends to come and help her.

Ciccardi then allegedly raped her before she pushed him off, started to walk away but stumbled.

At this moment the man is accused of pushing the girl to her knees, grabbing her hair and raping her again.

The alleged victim sent her friend a text message with her location before Ciccardi is said to have grabbed her phone and thrown it to the ground.

Ciccardi is then accused of picking up the girl twice and carrying her further into the laneway.

About 1.52am one of the 17-year-old's friends entered the alley with two female strangers who had come to help.

"C---, what the f--- are you doing?," the friend said to Ciccardi.

The women left, with Ciccardi following behind. When the group arrived at the entrance to Cube they asked staff to to get rid of Ciccardi and to help them.

On Monday, prosecutor James Melloy said Ciccardi was in Australia on a temporary visa expiring in February 2024.

He said, if proven, the charges would "almost inevitably result in full-time imprisonment".

Mr Melloy argued this was a "powerful motivator" for Ciccardi not to attend court.

He said the "brazenness of the offending" was coupled with heavy alcohol use.

"There are a number of risk factors that led to this offence."

Legal Aid lawyer Sam Brown said a curfew could be imposed and Ciccardi could surrender his passport.

Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker granted bail, saying provisions could be put in place to limit concerns about "a person of Irish nationality on a temporary visa".

Ciccardi is set to return to court on October 16.

  • Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; MensLine 1300 789 978; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre 6247 2525.
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