Rachel Antonio: police still considering perjury charge against Robert Hytch

Five years ago it was recommended Robert Hytch face perjury charges for lying about his relationship with missing schoolgirl Rachel Antonio. Her parents are still waiting for something to happen.

Police are still considering a perjury charge against former surf lifesaver Robert Hytch, five years after a coroner found he had lied to an inquest about the nature of his relationship with missing schoolgirl Rachel Antonio.

Rachel, 16, disappeared from Bowen in North Queensland in 1998 after she was dropped at the local beachside cinema by her mother.

Rachel Antonio.

Mr Hytch, aged 25 when Rachel disappeared, was found guilty of her manslaughter in 1999. He was acquitted at retrial.

The former surf lifesaving captain denied being in a secret relationship with the schoolgirl and has always maintained his innocence.

In 2016, Coroner David O’Connell found Mr Hytch had been in an intimate relationship with Rachel.

He also found that Mr Hytch had fatally injured the schoolgirl and hid her body.

The coroner recommended Mr Hytch be referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for investigation for a possible perjury charge, relating to evidence he gave about denials of his relationship with the schoolgirl.

Mr Hytch challenged the coroner’s findings and appealed, but the Supreme Court upheld the decision.

Robert Hytch outside Bowen Court. Picture: Janessa Eckert / Daily Mercury

The Courier-Mail’s 2016 podcast, Searching For Rachel, brought the schoolgirl’s disappearance back into the arena following the coronial inquest.

In 2019, The Courier-Mail revealed officers were reinterviewing witnesses in the case.

Last year a spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said the DPP had “concluded its consideration of the matter and it was referred to the Queensland Police Service for their consideration”.

When asked if police would pursue the perjury matter, a Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said: “This matter is still under consideration of the Queensland Police Service.”

Ian and Cheryl Antonio

Rachel’s distraught parents Ian and Cheryl Antonio said they hoped for a resolution, but were not convinced there would be any outcome.

“We went through a lot of time, effort resources to do the inquiry,” Mr Antonio said.

“If they don’t follow up with what the coroner said what’s the use of having a coroner’s inquiry?

“We went to a lot of trouble, everybody did.

“If the coroner recommends it (investigations into a possible perjury charge) and they don’t do anything about it, what’s the use of having an inquiry in the first place?” he said.