Hong Kong rugby player Faizal Solomona Penesa, 33, appears in Eastern Magistrates’ Courts and is set to face a trial after denying allegations linked to an incident at a Central bar last year. Both outlets report that Penesa pleads not guilty to molesting/indecently assaulting a woman at Bobby’s Rabble on Wyndham Street on September 28, 2025. He is charged with one count of indecent assault, and Hong Kong Free Press reports the matter will go to trial in June.
The same court appearance also covers a separate issue involving his conduct while in custody. According to the South China Morning Post, Penesa pleads guilty to damaging property—specifically, he admits vandalising a door bolt at Central police station while he was in custody on suspicion of groping the woman. The prosecution summary cited by the South China Morning Post indicates the assault allegation remains contested, while the property-damage offence is admitted and has entered a guilty plea.
