Tom Silvagni's victim tells pre-sentence hearing she is haunted by rape 'every single day'

The young woman raped by Tom Silvagni has described the horror of the night it happened and the lasting impact it has had on her life.

Fighting back tears as she read her victim impact statement to Victoria's County Court, the woman described the fear and confusion over the incident in January 2024.

"That moment haunts me every single day," she said.

Warning: This story contains details of rape that may be distressing to some readers.

Last week a County Court found Silvagni, 23, guilty of rape.

A suppression order barring reporting of his identity had been in place since mid-2024 until it was lifted on Thursday, with Silvagni's lawyers citing evidence about their client's mental health.

The suppression order had been the subject of a legal battle between media outlets and the Silvagni family.

The 23-year-old is the son of former Carlton Football Club star Stephen Silvagni and the younger brother of Jack Silvagni, who has played for Carlton and is now signed to St Kilda.

His grandfather, Sergio, was also a two-time premiership player for the Blues, and his mother, Jo, is a television personality.

The trial heard Silvagni went into the dark bedroom the woman was staying in and climbed into the bed and digitally raped her.

Prosecutors said Silvagni had lied about being the woman's boyfriend during the rape and later tried to cover it up. Prosecutors also said Silvagni feigned innocence and doctored an Uber receipt to create doubts that he was the perpetrator.

'You didn't stop'

At today's pre-sentence hearing, the victim told a packed courtroom that the trauma of that night would live with her forever and had shattered her world.

"Tom Silvagni, you raped me. Not once, but twice," she said.

"You know this, I know this, and now so does everyone else.

"Do you know how scary it is to have a big, strong man hold my hands behind my back.

"Every day of my life I am [taken] back to that vision.

The victim, who chose to remain unidentified, also outlined the ongoing post-traumatic stress disorder she dealt with, along with the loss of and breakdown of her friendship group as a result of the offending.

"Today you sit there you get to hear the truth exactly as it happened," she said.

"I couldn't hug my own dad without leaping out of his arms because I would feel you.

"You have forced me into years of healing that I have never asked for."

After the victim delivered her statement Judge Gregory Lyon thanked her for the "courage and integrity in giving evidence" during the trial as well as the "moving account" of her victim impact statement.

He also recognised the fact she read it aloud to the court herself.

Silvagni attended today's hearing via video link from prison and remained still and mostly emotionless throughout.

Both his parents were present during the hearing but did not enter the courtroom until after the victim's impact statement had been read.

Defence barrister David Hallowes SC asked for leniency from the judge when considering a sentence.

He argued how imprisonment would adversely affect Silvagni's mental state, highlighted what he called the "excellent prospects of rehabilitation" and the fact Silvagni had no prior convictions.

Mr Hallowes also noted the intense media interest in the case and its impact.

"There are young men that come before the courts charged with these offences and there's simply no media presence," he said.

"Mr Silvagni receives that scrutiny not because of who he is, but because of who his family is."

Silvagni's moral culpability 'high': Prosecutors

In his own submissions to the judge, Crown barrister Jeremy McWilliams told the court Tom Silvagni lacked empathy and showed cunning strategy during and after the rape.

He said Silvagni's "moral culpability could only be assessed as high" and that Silvagni had attempted "to build deception upon lies".

"To deny the reality of her experience in that time in that way demonstrates … a real lack of empathy and a real sense of entitlement," Mr McWilliams said.

"This wasn't a misunderstanding around the boundaries of consent or what was agreed to by partners, this was calculated deception from start to end in order to take advantage of someone who was vulnerable and breach the trust he had.

"[His] persistent dishonesty and attempts to avoid accountability were quite extraordinary."

Speaking outside court, Stephen Silvagni became emotional as he told reporters his family was "disappointed" with the outcome of the trial.

"Our son continues to maintain his innocence and we stand firmly behind him," he said.

"Our goal is to clear his name and bring him home."

He said the family was considering options to appeal and requested privacy.

In Victoria, the maximum penalty for rape is 25 years, with the charge carrying a standard sentence of 10 years.

Tom Silvagni will be sentenced next week.