Justin Leppitsch’s brother Matthew ‘Matt Leppitsch’ pleads not guilty to sexually penetrating schoolgirl
The brother of a senior Collingwood official and AFL premiership star has denied sexually violating a Mornington Peninsula child.
South East
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The brother of an AFL premiership player and senior Collingwood Football Club employee has denied sexually violating a schoolgirl.
Matthew ‘Matt’ Leppitsch, 26, pleaded not guilty at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday to serious sexual offences including penetration of a child under 16.
Mr Leppitsch, who is half-brother to Collingwood strategy head and Brisbane Lions premiership player Justin Leppitsch, allegedly violated the child while on the Mornington Peninsula almost a decade ago.
It’s alleged Mr Leppitsch, who was an adult at the time of the alleged offending, assaulted the child multiple times on various occasions.
The alleged sexual assaults were reported to police in December last year.
The court heard police interviewed the complainant who also provided investigators a photo of Mr Leppitsch in January this year.
Frankston Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives charged Mr Leppitsch, of Junction Village, in February this year.
Detective Senior Constable Nova Graham told the court police probed a claim Mr Leppitsch was overseas at Camp America during the time of the alleged offending.
A witness, a former schoolfriend of the alleged victim, told Friday’s court hearing she believed the complainant was allegedly violated while in year 7 or year 8 at the time.
The court heard the alleged victim reached out to the witness via Snapchat to inquire if she “remembered the incident”.
The witness told the court she and the complainant had “drifted” since leaving high school but the two were “best mates” who “coached netball together”.
The court heard the alleged victim also spent time in psychiatric hospitals as her “mental health deteriorated” since the alleged incident.
The witness said she had “never heard of Matt Leppitsch” but knew his brother.
The witness also said she noticed the complainant’s behaviour “change around Year 10”, because “she wouldn’t want to come out and often had to step out of class”.
“I do remember her telling me something (at the time) …,” the witness told the court.
Magistrate Rose Falla ordered Mr Leppitsch stand trial.
Mr Leppitsch, whose family lives in Mt Eliza, had his bail extended to front the County Court at a later date.
