Extradited Tasmanian medical practitioner bailed on rape, child sexual abuse charges

A 64-year-old former doctor who was last week extradited from NSW to Tasmania on historical sex charges, including child sexual abuse, has been released on bail by a Hobart magistrate.

Hobart Magistrates Court on Liverpool St. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Richard Jupe

A 64-year-old former medical practitioner who was last week extradited from New South Wales to Tasmania on historical sex charges, including child sexual abuse, has been released on bail by a Hobart magistrate.

Michael Antony Welch first appeared in court during a special sitting on the Anzac Day public holiday, when he did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody by a Justice of the Peace.

On Tuesday, Mr Welch was bailed by Magistrate Jackie Hartnett to reappear in court on 14 May.

Detectives from Tasmania Police’s Taskforce Artemis have charged Mr Welch with three counts of rape, alleged to have been committed against an 18-year-old complainant in 1993.

The defendant is also facing three counts of indecent assault, alleged to have occurred in 2004 and 2005 against a person aged 15 years old.

The abuse is alleged to have occurred when Mr Welch was a registered medical general practitioner in Tasmania.

Tasmania Police has said it strongly encouraged anyone with information about any form of sexual abuse, regardless of the passage of time, to come forward and report it.

Originally published as Extradited Tasmanian medical practitioner bailed on rape, child sexual abuse charges