ABC responds to ‘offensive’ allegations it ‘manipulated’ Craig McLachlan accusers

The ABC has come out swinging over “offensive” allegations its damning Craig McLachlan program “manipulated” witnesses.

The ABC is fighting back at “offensive” allegations it “manipulated” Craig McLachlan’s accusers.

In January 2018, a number of media organisations published allegations McLachlan had indecently assaulted four women during a 2014 stage production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Victoria Police later charged him with seven counts of indecent assault and six counts of common law assault against four women on the set of the Rocky Horror Show in 2014.

He was acquitted of all charges in December last year.

The actor broke his silence earlier this month in a highly emotional interview with Channel 7’s Spotlight.

The program aired claims the ABC had “manipulated” McLachlan’s accusers when it interviewed the women in 2018.

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Actor Craig McLachlan speaks out for the first time since he was cleared of indecent assault. Picture: Channel 7

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In one segment from Spotlight, an off-air ABC producer can be heard saying to one of the women: “I’m just looking for a sharp, short you said: ‘this is predatory behaviour, it wasn’t a one off, and when we all shared our stories we realised how calculated he was’.”

Then ABC reporter Lorna Knowles said: “I don’t think we should be putting words into her mouth to some extent.”

McLachlan is suing the ABC and Nine newspapers over media reports of the 2014 Rocky Horror Show tour allegations for which he was tried and acquitted.

ABC rejected the allegations in a statement today, labelling them “offensive”.

“In January 2018, the ABC reported allegations made by three women regarding actor Craig McLachlan. The broadcast and online stories included interviews with these women,” an ABC spokeswoman said.

“Last week the Seven Network aired claims, since repeated elsewhere, that the women interviewed were ‘manipulated’ by an ABC producer and reporter ‘to say certain things’.

“Seven producer Mark Llewellyn subsequently claimed the women were ‘coached’ and that there was ‘clear evidence of words being put in (their) mouths’.

“The ABC rejects these claims. They are also offensive to the women who stepped forward to tell their stories.”

The ABC spokeswoman said the clips shown on Spotlight had been “selectively edited” and were taken out of context.

“Seven has selectively edited raw footage and used very brief grabs without full context from near the end of an almost hour-long interview with one of the women,” the ABC said.

“The unedited footage shows the interviewee was asked to repeat in a more succinct way statements she had already made on-camera.

“This is a normal television industry practice in some cases to ensure content is presented in a clear way for viewers.

“At the time of the original story the ABC offered Mr McLachlan the opportunity of an interview, sent him detailed questions and ran his responses extensively.”

Craig McLachlan and his partner Vanessa Scammell appear in the emotional tell-all.

Channel 7’s Mark Llewelyn, the executive producer of Spotlight, told The Australian that the ABC had put aside its “ethical responsibilities”.

“No matter how comfortable it feels on the high moral ground it doesn’t mean you can put aside your ethical responsibilities as journalists,” he said.

“It’s too easy to think you’re infallible and the story is ‘so important’ that the means justify the ends. Well, they don’t.”

Sydney Morning Herald reporter Kate McClymont, who was behind the original McLachlan investigation, also addressed being “taken out of context” last week.

Ms McClymont was recorded off-screen saying “ultimately we want him out of that job”, when talking about when to air the McLachlan allegations.

Last December, Magistrate Belinda Wallington said prosecutors had not met the required standard for her to find McLachlan guilty of the allegations.

Ms Wallington labelled the actor’s behaviour as “egocentric” and said his “self-entitled sense of humour” may have led him to believe the victims were consenting to his acts.

However, she ultimately rejected police allegations the actor touched a woman’s genitalia over her costume on stage, that he stuck his tongue into one woman’s mouth and that he felt up a woman’s thigh.

Outside his lawyer’s office after his acquittal, McLachlan said he put his trust in the law.

“As you can imagine, we have a lot to say. We have maintained a dignified and respectful silence for the past almost three years and put our trust in the law,” McLachlan said.

“Stay safe, be kind to each other, we will see you in the New Year.”