Middle-aged woman pleads not guilty to abusing boys as young as 12, secrecy order remains in place

A middle-aged woman accused of the historic sexual abuse of boys as young as 12 has answered charges in court. This is why you still can’t know her identity.

A middle-aged woman accused of the historic sexual abuse of boys as young as 12 has told a court she is not guilty – and the ban on identifying her remains in force.

The woman, aged in her 60s, stood quietly in the dock of the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning as Magistrate Justin Wickens asked her how she intended to answer her charges.

Speaking softly, she pleaded not guilty to five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

The court heard the alleged offending occurred in regional South Australia, and involved boys aged 12, 15 and 16 at the time.

The woman’s identity has been the subject of suppression orders since her arrest – on Wednesday, The Advertiser and other media organisations asked that publication ban be revoked.

At her first hearing in August last year, Danni Stephens, for the woman, asked the court to suppress her identity – prohibiting publication of her name and image in the media – as her “mental health was quite frail”.

A woman in her 60s leaves Adelaide Magistrates court where she is charged with historic abuse of children as young as 12. Picture: Isabel McMillan

On Wednesday, The Advertiser argued that amendments made, in 2020, to Section 71A of the Evidence Act were designed to permit alleged sex offenders to be publicly named while still conferring statutory anonymity upon their alleged victims.

It further argued giving the woman identity protection under Section 69A, which deals with suppressions in non-sexual allegations, went against the intent of the 2020 amendments.

Prosecutor Tracey Nelson and Ms Stephens argued the suppression should remain in force, and said the alleged victims had yet to be informed of the potential of publication.

Mr Wickens said he was prepared to continue the suppression until the alleged victims were consulted, but warned Ms Nelson and Ms Stephens that a future application by the media, to lift the suppression, could well be successful.

He remanded the woman on continuing bail to face the District Court in May, when a trial date will be set and the suppression order will again be reviewed.

Outside court, she declined to answer questions and hid behind a face mask, sunglasses and a hat.

Originally published as Middle-aged woman pleads not guilty to abusing boys as young as 12, secrecy order remains in place