‘Waving a knife around’: Court hears allegations against Channel Seven contestants

Shocking allegations of children being physically and sexually abused and threatened with knives has been aired in the court case of two Channel Seven reality show contestants, one accused of rape, the other of torture.

The Queensland couple, who appeared on a prominent television show but cannot be named for legal reasons, are facing dozens of charges between them.

Supporters of the pair yelled at media outside court but the accused declined to comment.

The pair, flanked by several family members, appeared in a local Brisbane court on Friday for their committal, and sat in the public gallery with their feet up on the bar behind their legal teams.

Dressed in all black, the accused woman repeatedly shook her head as evidence was being heard.

One witness told the court a child had been inappropriately touched by the accused woman.

In one incident, he said the woman used coconut oil on a child’s genitalia in a sexual manner and made a crude comment.

“When we would try to address those things with [the accused woman] she would often say, [the complainant] was overreacting, and that [the complainant] would look through things like those incidents from a traumatised lens.”

When Simon Lewis, the barrister representing the accused woman, asked the witness what he did in these situations, the witness said: “At that time I was very scared, and I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”

When pressed further, the witness said the accused woman would use “scare tactics”.

The court heard the witness told police he had heard the accused couple threatening the complainants with physical abuse.

He recalled one incident where the accused woman had discussed punching a complainant in the stomach.

The court was only able to hear from three witnesses on Friday morning, with Magistrate Stuart Shearer criticising the prosecution’s handling of the case.

Shearer repeatedly questioned how the prosecution had failed to tender evidence correctly. At one stage, police brought the prosecution statements from outside the courtroom.

“What a balls-up, really,” Shearer said at one point.

The case was pushed back about an hour before witnesses could be called.

Another witness said he was told by one of the complainants she had been inappropriately touched, and had told it in a way which was “quite desensitised”.

He told the court there were times when he saw the accused woman waving a knife around at one of the complainants, in what he deemed to be a threatening manner.

Outside court, supporters yelled at media, and attempted to shield the accused from cameras. The pair declined to comment as they got into their car.

In June, magistrate Shearer noted issues with the statements two complainants had given to police, describing how one complainant had said “none of this ever happened”.

However, Shearer said a third complainant had claimed: “All of these things happened.”

The case will return for a second day of committal in November.

If you or anyone you know needs support call Kidshelpline 1800 55 1800, Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.