Former Federal Labor staffer Alexander Matters found not guilty of rape, indecency
An Australian National University law student and former Federal Labor staffer has been found not guilty of raping a fellow student in her dormitory.
Canberra Star
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A former federal Labor staffer has been found not guilty of rape in the ACT Supreme Court.
Alexander Louis Christopher Matters faced a four-day trial in the ACT Supreme Court earlier this month after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and an act of indecency without consent.
During the trial it was alleged Mr Matters raped a fellow Australian National University student in her dormitory and ejaculated on her without her consent in 2021.
The court head the woman alleged she told Mr Matters to stop however he told her “it will feel good in a second, I’m almost there” and continued to have “rough” sex with her, causing her to bleed.
Prosecutors and the woman alleged she did not give genuine consent. The jury rejected the prosecution’s case and the woman’s account, finding Matters not guilty on all charges
Mr Matters’ lawyer Steven Whybrow SC suggested to the jury the complainant made up the allegations to save face because another woman had accused him of rape.
The charges relating to the earlier complainant have since been withdrawn.
Mr Whybrow said the woman was an advocate for sexual assault victim-survivors and her reputation would have been tarnished if she didn’t make allegations against him.
Prior to being charged in September 2021 Mr Matters was a staffer for Federal Labor member for Bean David Smith.
Speaking after the verdict was handed down Mr Whybrow said his client welcomed the verdict and “would like to finally be able to move on with his life”.
“We wrote to the (ACT Director of Public Prosecutions) before this trial pointing out all the problems in this case with a view to avoiding these two young people having to go through this traumatic experience unnecessarily,” he said.
“This was a case that did not need to proceed to trial.”
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