New claims of magistrate, clerk in courtroom tryst
The Children’s Court of Victoria has been forced to investigate after a clerk boasted to friends about an X-rated romp with a magistrate in a Melbourne courtroom, and also in another magistrate’s chambers.
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A magistrate has been questioned over stunning claims of an X-rated romp with a young clerk in a Melbourne courtroom.
The Children’s Court of Victoria was forced to investigate after a clerk boasted to friends that she had been intimate with a magistrate in a courtroom and also in another magistrate’s chambers.
The matter was referred to court management and led to an inquiry during which the clerk and magistrate were each questioned. They both denied they were in a relationship or had been involved in any inappropriate conduct.
But a court whistleblower has accused the court of a wide-scale cover-up, saying senior staff confirmed the tryst.
The staffer said in a meeting with management that the incident was confirmed and joked about, but they were ordered to keep it quiet.
The staffer said at least one employee was moved from the court in a bid to keep the incident, which allegedly took place last year, from the public.
Staff have considered lodging a complaint with the Independent Broad-based Anti Corruption Commission.
“A few clerks know but everyone that does know has been told to keep a lid on it,” a staffer said. “I am confident there is a cover-up going on.
“(The clerk) went around boasting about it at the Christmas get-together while drunk and they’ve made a big effort to keep everyone quiet there since it happened.”
The Herald Sun has chosen not to name either the magistrate or the clerk at the centre of the investigation.
Children’s Court of Victoria spokeswoman Melissa Coade said the court “takes allegations of inappropriate conduct seriously”.
“The court examined this matter and concluded that the rumours were baseless and that no inappropriate conduct occurred,” she said.
“Both parties denied any relationship or that inappropriate conduct occurred. In the circumstances, the court has no further comment.”
The alleged tryst is the third to raise concerns among senior justice figures over magistrates’ relationships with young clerks.
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A cautionary email was sent to staff across Victoria’s magistrates’ courts amid concerns among top officials about the recent engagement of magistrate Rodney Higgins, 68, to clerk Ashleigh Petrie, 23. Rumours have also circulated about another relationship between a magistrate and a clerk.
Outgoing chief magistrate Peter Lauritsen was forced to intervene after complaints reached his office about the relationship between Mr Higgins and Ms Petrie.
The couple, who are believed to have started dating this year, recently became engaged during a 10-day romantic getaway to Fiji.