Hidding facing abuse action

FORMER Liberal Party leader Rene Hidding is facing civil action over accusations he sexually molested a teenage girl who lived with him in 1979.

In a civil statement of claim lodged with the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Wednesday, the now 56-year-old woman says she was “battered” by the former state police minister over a six-month period at his Legana home.

A defence has not yet been filed with the court.

Aged 14 to 15 at the time, the woman claims Mr Hidding — 26 at the time — sexually interfered with her almost daily and without her consent, in the loungeroom and in a bedroom of his home.

She says she now suffers post traumatic stress disorder, secondary borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder as a result.

The woman also says Mr Hidding visited her in Western Australia during 2013, admitting what he had done and apologising.

“The defendant acted in contumelious disregard of the plaintiff’s rights, in an insulting and high-handed way and with malice, and by so doing the defendant increased the plaintiff’s suffering and injured the plaintiff’s feelings by degrading and humiliating her,” the statement of claim reads. The woman is now seeking damages.

Mr Hidding, 68 on Friday, and his lawyer Evan Hughes were contacted for comment.

The court documents claim the woman continues to endure psychological and emotional trauma and has been “forced to obtain psychiatric and psychological treatment at cost”.

The statement of claim further alleges the woman has lost income she otherwise would have earned and has suffered an impairment of her earning and her ability to enjoy life.

In September 2019, Tasmania Police announced it would not press charges against Mr Hidding over an allegation of historical sexual abuse.

Mr Hidding, who resigned from parliament in February that year, had labelled the allegations “false and malicious”.

At the time, he said the allegations were part of a wider, long-term bitter dispute and had never been raised by the woman before.

“I am saddened that I now need to step aside so I can confront false, malicious and hurtful allegations,” he said in 2019.

Mr Hidding was the Liberal member for Lyons from 1996 and was state opposition leader between August 2002 and March 2006.