No Menu restaurant owner Maurizio Di Ciano jailed for raping female employee, fined for touching two others

An acclaimed Perth restaurateur who raped one of his employees in the storeroom of his popular Italian trattoria and then further humiliated her by placing $50 inside her bra and underwear has been jailed for more than seven years. Maurizio Di Ciano was once a highly respected member of the WA hospitality community, earning numerous accolades including an Honour Award from the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of WA for his distinguished service and professionalism. But this year, he earned a new title – rapist. The 51-year-old owner of No Menu Finest Italian had been found guilty of violating the young woman three times following a trial in July, but the matter was suppressed because he stood accused of other sex crimes against two other female employees. However, Di Ciano pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting them in September, paving the way for his shocking behaviour to be revealed. During his sentencing hearing on Friday, WA’s District Court was told Di Ciano used his position as the boss of the popular Highgate eatery to take advantage of the women, all of whom were either on their first or second shift at the restaurant. His worst offending was committed against a 21-year-old woman who had asked the father-of-two for a job after dining at the restaurant. The court was told on her second shift, Di Ciano asked her to massage his neck and shoulders, then placed a $50 note into her bra before placing his hand down her shirt. He then asked her to go into the storeroom where – despite her continually telling him no - he forced himself on her. The woman left the room but continued working with the court told her naivety and cultural upbringing meant she felt unable to leave. Later that shift, an intoxicated Di Ciano assaulted the woman again, this time in a different area of the restaurant, where he pushed her onto a couch and placed $50 into her underwear, then violated her. This was despite the woman repeatedly telling him no and to stop. Regarding the two other victims, Di Ciano slapped a 31-year-old employee twice across her bottom on her first shift, prompting her to tell him that if he did it again, she would leave. But he ignored her and, on her next shift, used a pan to slap her bottom. The woman quit, told her friends, and reported what happened to police the following day. Di Ciano also indecently assaulted a 22-year-old female employee by placing his hand up her skirt on and her thigh as the pair were sat down at the bar of his restaurant. The young woman left and told a friend what happened. A few months later she saw a media report about a man in the area being charged with sexual assault and she contacted police with her complaint. Prosecutor Kade Rosenthal argued there was a power imbalance between Di Ciano and his victims because he was their boss. He also said Di Ciano used his position to offend against all three women, adding it was persistent and amounted to predatory behaviour because it was either their first or second shift. But Di Ciano’s lawyer, Seamus Rafferty SC, rejected all three assaults shared a common thread arguing the butt slapping and thigh touching were less serious and did not suggest a power imbalance. “What was perceived appropriate in the 1980s and 90s… it’s just not appropriate today,” Mr Rafferty SC said. “Those offences don’t have same type of character.” But Judge Gary Massey said there was a power imbalance, with the common feature being that Di Ciano was an employer who took advantage of his employees, and there was a moderate need for personal deterrence. He also suggested that, in relation to general deterrence, the message needed to be sent that women need to be protected from employers who seek to abuse their positions of power. He jailed Di Ciano for seven and a half years for the rapes and made him eligible for parole. Di Ciano was also fined $8000 for the two indecent assaults, with the money to be paid to his victims.