Victorian magistrate facing sex assault allegations has moved courts
A MAGISTRATE facing sex assault allegations has been shifted to another suburb in a move likened to the Catholic Church’s handling of problem priests.
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A MAGISTRATE under investigation for sexually assaulting a junior colleague has been moved to a new court.
The magistrate is continuing to work despite the serious allegations, but in a move that has sparked comparisons with the Catholic Church’s handling of problem priests, has been shuffled between courts.
VICTORIAN MAGISTRATE PROBED ON SEXUAL ASSAULT CLAIMS
The magistrate had been working at a suburban court but has now been transferred to another suburban court. “They’re following the Catholic Church model,” the source said.
The child abuse royal commission found church leaders routinely shuffled problem priests between parishes after allegations of sexual assault were levelled at them.
Court insiders say the serious allegations are the “tip of the iceberg” and say there are growing concerns about the culture inside the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. But it is understood the person at the centre of the allegations is yet to make a formal complaint with the court.
The court would not comment on the comparison with the Catholic Church or the transfer, and has repeatedly refused to answer questions about its handling of the matter until an investigation is completed by the Judicial Commission of Victoria.
The magistrate is accused of groping a young woman’s buttocks and saying he “loved her” after a night of drinking at a Christmas party for court staff. He was referred to the Judicial Commission of Victoria, an independent body set up by Attorney-General Martin Pakula to investigate complaints about judicial officers.
The magistrate is one of two continuing to work despite facing serious allegations.
Last week, the court confirmed magistrate Richard Pithouse was facing charges over a car accident. But it said he would not stand down because the charges were untested.
“The magistrate is entitled, as is every other member of the community, to the presumption of innocence,” the court said.