The rape trial of 30-year-old Melbourne actor and footballer Craig Gunguta has been abandoned after the jury was discharged following days of evidence, leaving the alleged victim facing a lengthy wait until late June 2027 for a retrial. The discharge was ordered due to scheduling conflicts involving legal teams and the presiding judge, along with delays in evidence that Judge Rosemary Carlin noted could undermine the overall fairness of the trial.

The alleged victim, a mother of two, claims Gunguta sexually assaulted her in December 2023 after they met at the South Yarra nightclub Lux. According to court evidence, she was asleep when Gunguta allegedly entered her bedroom, got on top of her, kissed her, and touched her buttocks without consent. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts of events that night, with disagreement about whether the woman had been flirtatious with Gunguta at the club and whether he was invited back to her house, though the woman reportedly had only a few sips of alcohol and wanted to leave the venue because she was tired.