Rape allegations against Peter Bravos taken all the way to Attorney-General, court hears

A FORMER Darwin lawyer enlisted to probe a corruption watchdog investigation into allegations against former top cop Peter Bravos took the matter all the way to the Attorney-General, a court has heard

Barrister Georgia McMaster told the court she raised allegations against Peter Bravos with then Attorney-General John Elferink. Picture: KERI MEGELUS

• Alleged victim didn’t want to complain out of fear of ruining career
• Former speaker and former deputy Chief Minister no longer giving evidence at trial

A FORMER Darwin lawyer enlisted to probe a corruption watchdog investigation into allegations against former top cop Peter Bravos took the matter all the way to the Attorney-General, a court has heard.

Bravos is facing trial in the Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to two counts of rape dating back to the night of a boozy emergency services ball in 2004.

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On Thursday, Melbourne barrister Georgia McMaster told the court she was contacted by a whistleblower in 2015 after they reported the rape allegations to the former Public Interest Disclosures Commission.

Ms McMaster said she met with the alleged victim at a Darwin cafe after being asked to look into why no progress appeared to have been made three months after the disclosure was made to the PIDC.

“I didn’t lead her in any way, she said the word ‘Bravos’ to me and she then became quite upset, that is emotional, to the best of my recollection, she did start crying because she said she’d buried it,” she said.

Barrister Georgia McMaster arrives at Darwin Local Court in 2019. Picture: KERI MEGELUS

“I formed the view that there was some sort of sexual assault that occurred and I do believe I shut down the conversation shortly thereafter.”

Ms McMaster said she raised the issue with then Attorney-General John Elferink and the woman said she would make a statement about the allegations but never got back to her.

“She was a police officer and she was concerned about any possible police investigation into it because she was worried for her career, I suppose,” she said.

Acting Superintendent David Richardson told the court he was stationed with the woman in Nhulunbuy in 2008 when she told him she had gone back to Bravos’s house for sex after the ball when Bravos suggested they sleep together in one of his children’s beds.

“At that point she got emotional on the night and said ‘I’m not going to do it in the child’s bed,” he said.

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“She said ‘Do you want to go into the main bedroom?’ and he said ‘no’ and then she detailed that they had sex in the child’s bed against her will and she felt quite distraught at the end of it because she felt a bit used and abused.”

Supt Richardson said he encouraged the woman to report the incident but she said she didn’t want to as she was concerned about how it would affect her marriage.

The trial continues.