Sri Lankan cricket coach found guilty of assaulting woman in Melbourne

A Sri Lankan cricket coach has been found guilty by a Melbourne court of indecently assaulting a woman.

Suranjit Silva, 51, a Melbourne-based coach and former Sri Lanka A player, was convicted at the Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court over the incident at Sunbury on January 26, 2025.

Silva had denied the charge and sought a hearing, but the case proceeded to verdict after witness testimony. In an impact statement read to the court, the woman described the severe emotional distress she had suffered, saying no one had the right to violate her personal freedom or body without consent, and that she had felt unsafe and fearful since the incident.

The defence argued the offence was a momentary mistake, that the permanent resident had no prior criminal record, and that the verdict could harm his business and visa status.

The father of two, who migrated to Australia ten years ago, works as a level-2 accredited cricket coach. He has been released on bail and will be sentenced on the 26th of this month.