Naval Officer Kristoffer Hans Petersen was ‘showing great respect’ to alleged groping victim
A Sydney naval officer on trial for “motorboating” a woman’s breasts was “showing great respect” to his alleged victim by offering an apology afterwards, a court has heard.
Canberra Star
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A SYDNEY naval officer on trial for “motorboating” a woman’s breasts was “showing great respect” to his alleged victim by offering an apology afterwards, a court has heard.
At a Defence Force Magistrate’s Court trial in Canberra on Wednesday, Sub Lieutenant Kristoffer Hans Petersen’s defending officer, Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Gracie, said the apology was for making the woman upset, and was not an admission to him groping her sexually.
Sub Lt Petersen has pleaded not guilty to a single count of committing an act of indecency without consent.
“He’s acting with integrity and the proper respect (the woman deserved),” Lt Comm Gracie said.
Lt Comm Gracie described the prosecution case as “all over the shop”, with differing accounts about whether the woman was “touched”, “poked” or “groped”.
He said it was unclear whether Sub Lt Petersen had touched the woman on the “chest” or the “breast”.
“In a physiological sense, a breast is that mammary gland on the left or right of the chest,” he said.
Sub Lt Petersen’s case is that he poked the woman in the middle of the chest jokingly.
The woman alleges Sub Lt Petersen put his hands down her cleavage and “aggressively rubbed” her chest area for about ten seconds.
Lt Comm Gracie said one of the witnesses, Leading Seaman Seamus O’Reilly’s evidence that he thought “maybe that’s inappropriate” when after the incident, left open the possibility that Sub Lt Petersen was acting appropriately.
“Surely, with respect, anyone in today’s navy, they know what’s appropriate and what’s not?” Lt Comm Gracie said.
In her closing address, prosecuting officer Major Cassandra Kanaley repeated that her case was “straight forward”.
“Each and every witness gave evidence (Sub Lt Petersen) was intoxicated,” she said.
“(The woman) delivered strong and convincing testimony.
She said if Sub Lt Petersen did not remember some things in the moments before the alleged groping “what else does he not recall occurring in his intoxicated state?”
She said the woman reacting in disgust to Sub Lt Petersen would be “an unbelievable response to a mere chest poke”.
“He knew he had gone too far by putting her hands down her singlet.”
Defence Force Magistrate Group Captain Scott Geeves is expected to deliver his verdict on Thursday morning.