High-profile Australian charged with rape is a no show in Queensland’s Toowoomba Magistrates Court
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High-profile Australian accused of rape fails to appear in court as magistrate demands to know ‘why isn’t he here?’
- High-profile Australian accused of two counts of rape failed to appear in court
- The man’s defense lawyer appeared on his behalf at Toowoomba Magistrates Court
- Magistrate questioned why his client had not appeared in person on Wednesday
- ‘You have been notified to appear, why aren’t you here?’ magistrate asked for a lawyer
A high-profile man charged with two counts of rape stemming from an alleged incident in Toowoomba failed to appear for his court appearance.
Instead, defense lawyer Rowan King appeared on the man’s behalf when the charges were first raised at Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The man cannot be named at this stage under Queensland laws which prohibit the identification of those accused of alleged sexual assault or rape offences.
On Wednesday, King handed over bail conditions and medical documents while requesting a continuance.
Justice Kay Ryan demanded to know why her client did not appear in person.
‘You have been notified to appear, why aren’t you here?’ she asked. She told the court that the man is interstate.
Instead, defense lawyer Rowan King appeared on the man’s behalf when the charges were first raised at Toowoomba Magistrates Court (pictured) on Wednesday.
The police did not challenge his bail conditions, which included a no-contact order and the surrender of his passport.
Ms. Ryan ordered that a brief of evidence be served by February 15.
The man will return to summons court on February 22. King had no comment to the media waiting outside the courthouse.
Earlier, a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said detectives from the Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch charged the man with the alleged rape of a young woman in October 2021.
The man cannot be named at this stage under Queensland laws that prohibit the identification of those accused of alleged sexual assault or rape offenses (file image)
Last year, the second Hear Her Voice report was delivered, highlighting the experiences of women and girls throughout the criminal justice system.
The report made 188 recommendations, including educational campaigns aimed at dispelling rape myths, among others.
One of the key recommendations was the ability to name people accused of sexual offenses in Queensland, bringing it in line with other states and jurisdictions.