"Barbarians Rugby Player, Api Ratuniyarawa, Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault"

A Fijian rugby player named Api Ratuniyarawa has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison after sexually assaulting three women at a bar in Cardiff. Ratuniyarawa, 37, admitted to two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault at Revolution between October 31 and November 2, 2023. The assaults were captured on CCTV, and the victims, who were all 19 years old, did not know the perpetrator or each other prior to the incidents. Ratuniyarawa, who had been in Cardiff for a rugby match, will serve half of his sentence in custody and the remaining time in the community. The court heard that Ratuniyarawa had been socializing with teammates during his time in Cardiff. In the first assault, he cornered a woman in the VIP area of the bar and put his hands down her trousers despite her resistance. The second victim was touched on her breast and bottom by Ratuniyarawa, who was significantly stronger than her. After the second assault, the woman reported the incident to the door staff and Ratuniyarawa was asked to leave. The following night, he assaulted a third woman in the VIP area, causing her pain and leaving her bleeding. She repeatedly asked him to stop, and he only ceased when others at the bar intervened. During the court proceedings, one of the victims described the attack as humiliating and stated that it had negatively impacted her studies, causing anxiety, stress, hair loss, eating difficulties, and trouble sleeping. Another victim said that she could no longer watch rugby or wear the clothes she had on the night of the assault without thinking about the incident. Ratuniyarawa's defense lawyer expressed his remorse and acknowledged the shame he had brought upon himself and his family. It was noted in court that Ratuniyarawa's rugby career had effectively come to an end due to the assaults. The judge emphasized that the offenses were aggravated by Ratuniyarawa's alcohol consumption and the physical and psychological injuries inflicted on the victims. Ratuniyarawa has been issued a restraining order against one of the victims for three years and has been placed on the sex offenders register. He had previously played for London Irish and was part of the Barbarians squad scheduled to play against Wales before being charged. Following his release, Ratuniyarawa has been forced to apply for benefits.