Health Minister Jill Hennessy must ask Robert Doyle to respond to complaint inquiry

HEALTH Minister Jill Hennessy must ask Robert Doyle to respond to harassment complaint if she wants women to feel safe coming forward, writes Wendy Tuohy.

THE HEALTH Department and Health Minister, Jill Hennessy, must ask Robert Doyle directly to respond the inquiry into a complaint of serious sexual harassment by him, and if they do not they are effectively telling women “do not complain about sexual harassment or assault”.

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Today on ABC radio Melbourne the woman alleging what Charles Scerri QC has said would amount to “serious sexual misconduct” by Robert Doyle at a Melbourne Health gala, and her psychiatrist husband, outlined what is now at stake from the Health Department’s woefully inadequate inquiry.

Women will, quite simply, feel it is not worth speaking up about sexual harassment when they see how Carla and her husband, an eminent researcher in his field of neuropsychiatry, have been treated.

Then Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, in 2017.

The pair spoke after ABC radio revealed it had received multiple calls from people saying they had observed Mr Doyle outside an Albert Park cafe repeatedly in the last week, chatting away on his phone and greeting passers-by.

An ABC staff member was one witness.

Carla and her husband questioned, as well they might, why the inquiry initiated by the Health Department was closed without a definitive finding on the facts of the claim — other than Mr Scerri saying he believed Carla — when they had been promised a firm finding would be reached with or without Mr Doyle responding.

Carla’s complaint to Mr Scerri alleged that the then Lord Mayor and Melbourne Health chair had repeatedly groped her in the upper thigh and groin under the table at the event, causing her great distress (which was noticed by her husband, the guest of honour, who swapped seats with her).

“Where we’re at is at now (Carla) feels incredibly invalidated, that there’s been no direct response (from Mr Doyle) that she feels as powerless as she did that night,” Mark told ABC radio.

Mark Knight cartoon on Robert Doyle sexual harassment report.

“Ultimately she’s wondering, ‘Why did I do this? Why did I come forward, why would anyone come forward?

“For us, when we both agreed we would try and do the right thing and speak out instead of staying silent, because there were all sorts of power differentials on that night that affect Carla and myself, we were kind of at the pointy end, trying to push up those inclines, and then we find there is this tremendously unsatisfactory result.”

Carla said she felt humiliated and insulted by the fact that the Scerri report was tabled late in the afternoon before Anzac Day as “inconclusive” (due to the fact Mr Doyle was unavailable to respond to the allegations), rather than more time being allowed for Mr Doyle to respond before it was finalised.

She has an excellent point: surely it would send a far stronger message to women living with the distress of serious sexual harassment, and have a far greater deterrent effect, if such an inquiry were held open until the alleged perpetrator felt able to respond.

Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy. Picture: AAP.

As Carla pointed out, she put no pressure on the Scerri inquiry to hurry with a finding, she said she wanted Mr Doyle’s treatment for reported depression to be allowed to take its course.

It has been reported that Mr Doyle was admitted to hospital for psychiatric care shortly after Carla tabled her official complaint with Melbourne Health.

Carla has said previously that she did not wish to come forward for fear of harming her husband’s career, but felt compelled to after hearing public figures imply Mr Doyle’s Melbourne City Council sexual harassment accusers to be “liars”.

“With depression treatment and therapy I’m sure Robert Doyle will get to a point where he can respond. I want to make people aware that I didn’t place any pressure for this report being concluded; I completely understood — I’m married to a psychiatrist — I understand that depression requires treatment,” she said.

“But ... Charles Scerri said he would make a call after what he thought to be an appropriate period of time, where should Robert Doyle choose not to respond, he would make a call (about whether on the balance of the evidence provided, his actions were proven). And that hasn’t happened.”

She makes the indisputable point that this sets a precedent that the full investigation of sexual misconduct allegations can be skirted, and that women who dare face the ordeal of going through with claims may find themselves “gutted” and invalidated like Carla has.

It is a dreadful indictment on the way we treat women whose truthfulness is beyond doubt (as confirmed by Charles Scerri’s support for her “veracity”) that Carla, her husband and by extension other women have had their experience invalidated.

Jill Hennessy, now the women of Victoria are turning their eyes to you.

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