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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Blake Foden

'So disrespected': Influencer clashes with rape trial lawyer, details 60 Minutes hopes

Chidi Okwechime, who has pleaded not guilty to five charges, outside the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday. Picture: Blake Foden

A social media "influencer" has complained that no one in the legal system cares about her while telling the trial of her alleged rapist how she contacted 60 Minutes in the hope of inspiring reform.

The woman also clashed with defence barrister Steven Whybrow in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, accusing him of trying to "trick" her and later stopping mid-sentence as she said: "You are really not a nice -."

"I'm so disrespected," the alleged rape victim, who cannot be identified, continued.

"I'm having a break. This is the biggest trauma of my life. I'm not doing this."

The woman, who was in a remote witness room, then got up and disappeared from view, prompting a short break in the ongoing jury trial of alleged rapist Chidi Chike Okwechime.

Okwechime, 34, has been on trial since Tuesday after pleading not guilty to four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and one choking charge.

Chidi Okwechime outside court on Tuesday, when his trial began. Picture: Blake Foden

Prosecutors allege he sexually assaulted the woman at a Coombs unit in May 2021 after meeting her at a nightclub in Civic.

Okwechime denies the claims, with Mr Whybrow telling the jury some of the acts in question were consensual and that others simply did not occur.

When Mr Whybrow commenced cross-examining the alleged victim on Wednesday, she agreed she considered herself "an influencer of sorts".

The barrister then quizzed her about one of her social media posts, which she agreed asserted that she had sustained a black eye during the incident in question.

In response, the alleged victim conceded she could not be certain the injury had arisen from what happened in the Coombs unit.

On Thursday, as the cross-examination continued, she implored Mr Whybrow to "be respectful" and complained he was "trying to trick me".

Acting Justice Stephen Norrish assured the woman this was not the case, and told her Mr Whybrow had an obligation to ask her questions.

Mr Whybrow continued to suggest to the woman that what had really happened was at odds with her version, and she replied: "There is not one part of this evening that was consensual. Not one part, no. Not one skerrick of a second."

At one stage, Mr Whybrow suggested "it was almost like you invited [Okwechime] to have sex just so you could say he had raped you".

The alleged victim, who labelled the barrister's questions "extremely offensive", said she had never disagreed with a statement more.

"Beyond ridiculous," she said.

The jury later heard the woman had recently been in discussions with a 60 Minutes producer about the potential for the current affairs show to air a story about her experiences since the alleged rape.

"I'm really proud of doing this," the alleged victim said of her contact with the Nine Network program, adding that she wanted to help change the legal system by being "an advocate for sexual violence".

Prosecutors, referred to by the alleged victim as "my lawyers", had been contacted about being part of a story, the court also heard.

When Mr Whybrow asked if the woman understood the prosecutors were not her lawyers, she said she did.

"That's why I'm upset, because I don't feel that anyone cares about me," the woman said.

She also said she felt "so unsupported", and that attempting to change the justice system was something that would help give her life purpose after the alleged rape.

"I have no faith in this legal system because no one cares about me," the woman told the court.

The trial continues.

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