Alice Springs pastor Terry Medling faces court for the first time, accused of assaulting Aboriginal child
Pastor Terence ‘Terry’ Medling has faced court for the first time facing a child assault charge, formally indicating he will fight the allegation he claims is ‘payback’.
An Alice Springs pastor charged with assaulting an Aboriginal girl has faced court for the first time, formally indicating he will fight the allegation.
Pastor Terence “Terry” Medling, who, separate to the criminal allegation is accused of a physical assaults on young Aboriginal children, appeared at Alice Springs local court on Wednesday morning charged with aggravated assault.
Mr Medling was represented by Harvie Stiller, former president of NT Young Labor, who told the court the matter would be contested.
Mr Stiller told the court an application for Legal Aid would be made, and it would “likely” be granted.
In July Medling, self-declared as the longest-serving missionary in Alice Springs, was served by police with a notice to appear in court on a charge of aggravated assault against a 13-year-old girl.
The NT News reported that before his court appearance commenced the 73-year-old sat in the gallery reading a copy of the bible, which he also held close to him while leaving the court.
The Australian has previously reported the incident is understood to involve him allegedly grabbing the girl by the arm and trying to drag her out of a car, after one of his Sunday church services at the Aboriginal town camp known as Old Timers, in February last year.
Other children have separately alleged that the 73-year-old non-denominational pastor hit or was physically rough with them.
The children described instances of Mr Medling allegedly striking out with a wooden spoon or “slapping” them. He is not before the court for these allegations.
Mr Medling has denied harming any children and says he is being slandered and targeted for an unknown reason as “payback”.
Payback, in Indigenous parlance, is a form of vendetta aimed at settling a grievance over a death, adultery or disagreement.
He told The Australian earlier this year police had brought the aggravated assault charge after he became “angry” at a teenage girl over her repeatedly taking other children away from his town camp church services.
“I don’t think I ever touched her or anything. They’ve made a false accusation. She’s got some mental things. She’s caused trouble everywhere too,” he said.
Alice Springs residents including the principal of Indigenous school Yipirinya, Gavin Morris, previously raised concerns about Mr Medling with police and the Territory Families department.
Dr Morris, 46, was himself arrested and charged in August with aggravated physical assaults on five Aboriginal boys from his school. Dr Morris has strenuously denied the allegations through his lawyer, Luke Officer.
He will return to court at a later date.
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