‘I’m so sorry’: Former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle reveals ‘ugly’ aftermath sex harassment scandal

Disgraced former lord mayor Robert Doyle has apologised to the women he’s hurt and revealed there could be more victims of his “ugly” behaviour.

Former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has admitted that his behaviour involving sexual harassment allegations was “ugly”.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the Town Hall scandal broke in late 2017, he repeatedly apologised for the “anguish” and “pain” he caused the women who came forward with sexual harassment claims against him.

Becoming emotional during the 3AW interview with Neil Mitchell on Monday, Mr Doyle said: “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I’ve had to listen to the fact that people have been hurt,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“They have been caused anguish, they’ve been caused pain, they’ve been caused offence by me.

“And I’m now able to say I’m very sorry. I am very, very sorry. I apologise for my actions which led to your pain.”

“When you see the pain that you’ve caused, not just the people that we’re talking about, but people close to me, my own family, when you see the pain that you’ve caused and the potential pain that I might cause to my children, to my grandchildren, it’s ugly,” he said.

Former Melbourne lord mayor speaking at the Town Hall in September 2017. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Mr Doyle admitted he agreed with the findings in Mr Scerri’s report, but said he was not made aware at the time that his advances were unwelcome when asked if he knew he had ‘overstepped’.

“I haven’t really thought on that. I don’t really know the answer to that. I don’t think so,” he said.

“The findings were accurate.

“For me, it’s history, these two reports were done a year ago and two years ago, and I’m not here to try to argue them or justify them or contradict them or anything else that they are, what they are.”

Mr Doyle also said he may not even be aware of how many people he had affected with his sleazy behaviour over the years.

“I’ve got no doubt that I’ve hurt people that I don’t even know about,” he said.

“That’s an awful thought that you know, you’ve left a scar and you don’t even know it because of your attitudes at the time and your behaviors.

“I’d say to them too I am sorry. I never I never intended to cause offence.

“I didn’t intend to hurt people or cause anguish and suffering. But I did.”

Mr Doyle said he had become more spiritual and reflected on the darkness in his soul.

“And that is the ugly side of you, no one likes to think ill of themselves or the worst of themselves. but when you’re confronted with it you do,” he said.

The former lord mayor, who resigned in 2018, said he didn’t go public to change anyone’s mind but instead to apologise to the victims himself.

“It wasn’t about self justification or forgiveness or anything like that, that was not the point of it,” he said.

“The point was to try to make some reparation for harm, and the first thing that you do is to own the harm that you have caused, accept the consequences that have flowed from it and apologise truly and from your heart.

Kharla Williams spoke out about her treatment. Picture: Sarah Matray

“I have an obligation to, to say to those people that I’m sorry. And, and I wanted them to hear that directly from me that I’m sorry.”

Victoria Police had investigated allegations against Mr Doyle for two years, but the case was closed in June 2020 with no charges laid.

The force was asked on Monday if Mr Doyle’s public interview could lead to the matter being reopened.

“If further information is provided to police in relation to these or any other matters then appropriate investigation will take place,” a police spokeswoman said.

“Victoria Police is committed to investigating matters of sexual assault and bringing those responsible to justice.”

“We encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual assault to contact police.”

Mr Doyle said a range of factors, including alcohol, contributed to his predatory behaviour at the Melbourne Health dinner, but said they did not excuse his behaviour.

“Alcohol is not an excuse for a lack of respect, and a lack of appropriate behaviour. And, and I fully accept that.

“And I fully accept my actions, causing offence.”

Mr Doyle said his fragile mental health was the reason he waited three years to speak out following the damning reports.

“I’m to the point now where I feel that I am able to make the statement,” Mr Doyle said.

“Where I am now, this is the earliest I could have done this.”

Robert Doyle

A number of investigations found that Mr Doyle had behaved in a sleazy way when sexually harassing women, including former City of Melbourne councillor Tessa Sullivan, who was the first to accuse him of inappropriate behaviour.

A summary report released in March found the former lord mayor had engaged “serious misconduct of a sexual nature” when he touched a woman at a black-tie dinner in 2016.

The chair of Melbourne Health at the time, Mr Doyle had been seated beside Kharla Williams who attended the dinner with her husband, Professor Mark Walterfang, who received an award on the night.

The scathing report by Charles Scerri, QC described Mr Doyle’s conduct at the Melbourne Health dinner as obnoxious, rude and overfamiliar.

A summary of the final report about the behaviour had been released, and detailed how Mr Doyle’s behaviour included “touching the complainant’s inner thigh, close to her groin and the complainant’s lower back.”

Kharla Williams is one of several women to accuse former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle of sexual assault. She slammed council for keeping her in the dark on the final report into the matter. . Picture: Sarah Matray

“Mr Scerri also found that the relevant conduct was unwelcome and caused the complainant serious distress,” the summary said.

The report said that Mr Doyle claimed he was unable to respond to the allegations due to his ill health.

It was revealed in April that the Andrews government sat on the bombshell report for months, with former health Minister Jenny Mikakos handed the report in August last year.

When Ms Mikakos resigned in late September, it is believed she had asked for the report to be released with some redactions.

Mr Doyle had been elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 2008 and resigned in February 2018 amid sexual harassment allegations made by two councillors in late 2017.

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