Former Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s sex misconduct finding

A sexual misconduct investigation into Melbourne’s long-serving Lord Mayor has attacked the “Boozy Tuesday’’ culture at Town Hall.

Former Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle. Picture: AAP.

A sexual misconduct investigation into Melbourne’s long-serving Lord Mayor has attacked the “Boozy Tuesday’’ culture at Town Hall which contributed to Robert Doyle harassing two fellow councillors.

An investigation by Dr Ian Freckelton QC upheld complaints by councillor Cathy Oke and former councillor Tessa Sullivan against Mr Doyle and condemned the alcohol-fuelled, “sexualised’’ atmosphere at Town Hall where he served for nine years as Lord Mayor.

The investigation into a further complaint by a third woman known as Carla remains open to give Mr Doyle more time to respond. Carla’s complaint is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by Melbourne Health, where Dr Doyle was board chairman.

Dr Freckelton, who was commissioned by the City of Melbourne late last year to determine whether Mr Doyle had engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct, made four adverse findings against the former Lord Mayor.

Read the full report into Robert Doyle

These are that he grabbed Ms Sullivan’s breast in the back seat of his chauffeur driven car on 2 May last year, that he repeatedly stroked Ms Oke’s thigh under the table at a work dinner in 2014, that he uninvitingly kissed Ms Oke on another occasion and that, on all these occasions, his unwanted advances came after he’d “consumed substantial amounts of red wine.’’

Other complaints by Ms Sullivan, including that Mr Doyle propositioned her for oral sex after a council meeting, were not upheld.

Dr Freckelton, who has spent the past three months weighing mounting allegations against Mr Doyle with his vociferous denials, returned a damning indictment of the workplace culture at Town Hall.

“When a workplace is sexualised in the way engaged in on occasion by the conduct of Mr Doyle, this has the potential to contaminate and distort the atmosphere between colleagues in ways which are hard to repair,’’ he wrote.

“It can also cause significant confusion and distress to those the subject of the conduct; it is a breach of the right of any person in a workplace to dignity and a sense of safety and security.

“The conduct ... on each occasion occurred in the context of consumption of alcohol. The information provided to the investigation reflects that the consumption of alcohol at Melbourne City Council on a Tuesday evening ought to be the subject of policy revision.’’

Dr Freckelton found there was no proper process for anyone to pursue a formal complaint against the Lord Mayor. Council has pledged to improve its complaints handling processes.

Mr Doyle, who is still in hospital, issued a statement through his wife Emma Page-Campbell in which he refused to accept Dr Freckelton’s findings against him.

“Robert continues to deny all allegations made against him,’’ Ms Page-Campbell said.

“In doing so, we note that only one of the eight initial allegations concerning Ms Sullivan has been upheld. This finding, however, is not accepted by Robert and, furthermore, is not corroborated by a witness who has been publicly reported as saying that the incident did not and could not have taken place.’’

Ms Page-Campbell added: “Robert informed the investigation that he now recognises that his cheerful and oftentimes animated personality and manner towards people, both men and women alike, may no longer be appropriate by today’s standards. He is sorry for any misunderstanding he has caused others by such conduct but fervently rejects that any such conduct was intended to be inappropriate or sexual in nature.’’

Ms Sullivan’s allegation that Mr Doyle grabbed her breast was denied by Mr Doyle and his personal driver. However, it was supported by a complaint that Ms Sullivan made on the night to her husband Brendan and a fellow councillor, Kevin Louey.

Ms Oke, who has served on council for 10 years, said she felt “ashamed’’ that she did not report Mr Doyle’s behaviour towards her until late last year, when Ms Sullivan approached her and told her of her ordeal at the hands of the Lord Mayor.

“I had a real fear that speaking to someone in the powerful connected networks in this city, on this matter, would lead to a media smear or attack on my reputation,’ she told a special meeting of council. “Although perhaps ridiculous to some, that fear was real and paralysing.

“Of course, I am also ashamed that despite being a smart, driven woman and one who would normally call out bad behaviour and have certainly reported inappropriate behaviour in the past, that I didn’t stand up.’’

City of Melbourne chief executive Ben Rimmer defended the integrity of the Freckelton investigation, which Mr Doyle has attacked for failing to afford him due process. Mr Rimmer said the process adopted by the investigators was “rigorous, forensic and fair’’ and that Mr Doyle had been given “appropriate opportunities’ to respond.

He acknowledged the “significant and courageous’’ actions taken by Ms Sullivan, who resigned from council and lodged the initial complaint against the Lord Mayor.

Mr Rimmer declined to release Dr Freckelton’s report but made available a summary of his findings. Council is expected to table a further report, into the allegation made by Carla, once that part of the investigation is complete.

Mr Doyle has so far not responded to Carla’s allegation that he accosted her at a medical research gala dinner in June 2016 by groping her thigh under the table. Carla was introduced to Mr Doyle for the first time that night and has not met him since. Sources close to the investigation describe her as a credible and reliable witness.