Trial date yet to be set for ex-theatre identity, Keith Athol Bates-Willie, accused of child sexual abuse

A former Hobart teacher and “prominent theatre identity” accused of child sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s is yet to stand trial, nine years after one of his alleged victims came forward.

Keith Athol Bates-Willie, 70, has faced court charged with a number of historic child sexual abuse charges. Picture: Amber Wilson

A former Hobart teacher and “prominent theatre identity” accused of sexually abusing children as far back as the 1970s is yet to stand trial, nearly a decade after one of his alleged victims came forward.

Keith Athol Bates-Willie, 70, now lives in Deer Park, Victoria. He previously pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of indecent assault against three males in Hobart and Tasmania between 1977 and 1990.

He also pleaded not guilty to one charge of persistent sexual abuse of a child or young person in Hobart between January and December, 1979.

Mr Willie has faced the Hobart Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court of Tasmania on several occasions since 2022, but a trial date has not yet been set.

On Tuesday, Melbourne-based law firm Angela Sdrinis Legal issued a media statement about the hardship his alleged victims were facing due to the legal delays.

According to lawyer Kiara Zolati, Tasmania Police began investigating back in April 2015 when one of his alleged victims came forward, arresting Mr Bates-Willie in Melbourne seven years later.

She said the courts would hear that Mr Bates-Willie allegedly abused boys on several occasions at schools, theatres and at his home in Hobart from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Ms Zolati said two years after Mr Bates-Willie was arrested, extradited and bailed, a trial date had still not been set, due to the complexity of the case.

“Unfortunately, and sadly, our clients struggle on a daily basis with the abuse they allegedly suffered,” Ms Zolati said.

“The prolonged delays in getting these matters to trial only adds to the re-traumatisation of survivors. These men now in their late 40s to mid 60s struggle with nightmares, flashbacks, self harm, substance abuse and suicidal ideation.”

One of the firm’s clients said “please put this man on trial”.

“I’m at my wits end and not sure how much more of this I can cope with,” he said.

“We were young, working class kids, who trusted our educators. This man and the education

department of Tasmania abused our trust, our innocence and our youth. They threw us to a wolf.”

The man said he still had “nightmares and flashbacks every day”.

“To cope I cut and burn myself because of my self hatred and shame.”

Angela Sdrinis Legal called on the Tasmanian government to “properly fund the police service and the courts” to avoid lengthy legal delays for alleged victim-survivors.

Tasmania Attorney-General Guy Barnett said he acknowledged the impacts of delays in the criminal justice system, particularly on alleged victim-survivors.

Mr Barnett said the government had implemented a range of strategies to help the courts in overcoming criminal case backlogs, including expanding the role of associate judges to take on criminal as well as civil work.

He also said $1.2m had been allocated over two years for acting judges in the Supreme Court, and related costs, plus $750,000 to help fund complex criminal trials.

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Originally published as Trial date yet to be set for ex-theatre identity, Keith Athol Bates-Willie, accused of child sexual abuse