Tom Silvagni files appeal against rape conviction

1 month ago 14

Tom Silvagni, the son of AFL great Stephen Silvagni, has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against his rape conviction.

The 23-year-old was last month found guilty of two counts of rape for a January 2024 attack on a woman, in which he snuck into a bedroom at his family home before assaulting her and then trying to cover it up.

A court sketch of Tom Silvagni at the Victorian County Court on December 12.

Silvagni was sentenced to six years and two months behind bars and is eligible for parole after three years and three months.

Silvagni denied he digitally raped the woman at his Melbourne home in the early hours of January 14, 2024.

The maximum jail term for rape is 25 years, with an average of seven to 10 years.

Last month, Victorian County Court Judge Gregory Lyon allowed the sentence to be broadcast live after Silvagni’s identity was kept secret due to a suppression order for more than a year.

Stephen and Jo Silvagni leave the County Court after sentencing of son Tom, who was found guilty of rape.

The suppression order barring reporting of his identity had been in place since mid-2024 until it was lifted following his trial last month, with Silvagni’s lawyers citing evidence about their client’s mental health and his fears about the implications it could have on his famous family.

The suppression order was the subject of an ongoing legal battle between media outlets and the Silvagni family.

The order was lifted following a challenge after his conviction.

Lyon told the County Court in December that Silvagni had shown no remorse, and that his actions towards the victim were egregious and showed a lack of empathy towards her.

“Although your crimes rose from an opportunity you could not have envisioned ... your crimes were marked by planning, cunning and strategy in order to deceive,” he said.

The victim, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, spoke of the ongoing impact of the night and said she would carry the trauma of it for the rest of her life.

As she read her victim impact statement to Victoria’s County Court last month, the woman described the fear and confusion she felt over the rape and said she is still haunted by it every day.

“Tom Silvagni, you raped me not once but twice. You know this, I know this, and now so does everyone else,” she said in her statement.

Tom Silvagni (left) arrives at the County Court of Victoria in November.

“You were my friend, somebody I thought I could trust.”

“People think the worst part of this was the night you hurt me, but it’s … having to live with the aftermath every day since.”

“Do you know how scary it is to have a big strong man hold hands behind your back so you can’t escape his grip?”

Tom is the youngest son of Carlton great Stephen Silvagni and wife Jo, a former television host, and the grandson of Blues Hall of Famer Sergio.

His father previously vowed to clear his son’s name outside court.

“Jo and I, together with our family members and friends, are so disappointed with the outcome,” he said, standing alongside Jo, outside court following a pre-sentence hearing for his son in December.

“We all love and support our son, Tom. Our son continues to maintain his innocence and we stand firmly behind him.

“We will be considering our options to appeal and shall not be making any further comments on this case.

“Our goal is to clear his name and bring him home. We ask for our privacy and to be respectful.”

Prosecutors told the court Silvagni had lied about being the woman’s boyfriend during the rape and later tried to cover it up by doctoring an Uber receipt to create doubts that he was the perpetrator.

The Supreme Court confirmed the appeal though a hearing date was yet to be listed for the matter.

Support is available from the National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and Victims of Crime Helpline (1800 819 817).