Tom Silvagni, the son of former AFL player Stephen Silvagni, was convicted of raping a woman at his family home in Melbourne and has been sentenced to just over six years in prison, with a non‑parole period a little over three years.

Quick facts

  • Tom Silvagni was found guilty by a Victorian County Court jury of two counts of rape involving a digital sexual assault of a woman in a bedroom at his family’s property in January 2024.
  • The victim had consensual sex with another man earlier that night; Silvagni then went into the dark room, impersonated that man, and assaulted her twice, including restraining her hands while she told him to stop.
  • In addition to the assault, he fabricated or attempted to fabricate a rideshare receipt to support a false version of events, which the judge described as part of his efforts to avoid responsibility.

Sentencing details

  • The judge described his conduct as “callous”, “egregious” and “utterly appalling and shameful”, noting the significant psychological harm to the victim and Silvagni’s lack of remorse or insight.
  • He received a head sentence of about six years and two months, with eligibility for parole after roughly three years and three months, taking into account a short period already spent on remand.
  • The court also noted that the intense media attention was an additional burden but did not outweigh the seriousness of the offending.

Name suppression and public reaction

  • For many months, his name was protected by a suppression order, which meant media reports could not identify him, fuelling speculation about the “high‑profile” offender’s identity.
  • After the guilty verdict, the suppression order was lifted, allowing news outlets to reveal that the offender was Tom Silvagni and to report the victim’s powerful statement in which she directly named him and described the trauma he caused.
  • Legal commentators and forum discussions have focused on how his wealth and high‑profile family background enabled him to fight for secrecy, and why open justice was seen as important once the order was removed.

Family and possible appeal

  • His parents, Stephen and Jo Silvagni, have publicly maintained that their son says he is innocent and have indicated they may explore options to appeal the conviction and/or sentence.
  • The judge nonetheless emphasized that the jury’s verdict reflected careful consideration of the evidence and that Silvagni’s background, education and lack of prior convictions did not outweigh the gravity of the offending.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.