Former Bendigo Senior Secondary School teacher Kirsten Thomas pleads not guilty to raping student

A Bendigo drama teacher will face trial over allegations she took a student home and raped her.

A former Bendigo drama teacher will stand trial, accused of raping a student in the 2000s.

Kirsten Louise Thomas, 46, pleaded not guilty in Bendigo Magistrates Court on Thursday to historic charges of indecent assault and the rape of a student following a night out at a venue on Hargreaves St in the 2000s.

The Eaglehawk woman was teaching at Bendigo Senior Secondary College when the incident allegedly occurred, the court heard.

The complainant alleged she went to Ms Thomas’ house at the teacher’s invitation with before she lost consciousness and was sexually assaulted.

She then called a friend to pick her up and told him she allegedly woke up “to find Kirsten on top of her and touching her sexually” and she “pretended to go back to sleep”.

The complainant allegedly told witnesses about the assault at the time, but did not want to go to police.

Ms Thomas denies all the allegations, and says the student didn’t ever attend her home.

Police allege Ms Thomas sent an apology through a mutual friend to the complainant following the alleged sexual assault via MSN messenger that said: “she was sorry (the complainant) was upset about what had happened.”

Bendigo teacher Kirsten Louise Thomas leaves the Bendigo Magistrates' Court accused of sexually assaulting a student in the 2000s. Picture: Gianni Francis

However, the communication was unable to be physically located and tendered before the court.

Magistrate Dominic Lennon found there was sufficient evidence to go before a jury in a County Court trial.

Ms Thomas will remain on bail until she returns to court in April for a directions hearing.

Ms Thomas, who taught theatre and drama studies at Bendigo Senior Secondary College until July 2023, was suspended from teaching on April 3, 2024 according to the Victorian Institute of Teaching’s Register of Disciplinary Action.

In April last year, an education department spokesman said the charges were “extremely distressing for the school and local community”.

“We encourage anyone who has experienced any form of (alleged) abuse as a current or former student at a Victorian government school to report it to both the Department of Education and to Victoria Police so we can support them and take appropriate action,” he said.