Lewd acts trial closed
A TEENAGER accused of terrorising women with lewd acts in a Gold Coast parkland for 14 months faced the Southport Magistrates court yesterday.
The 18-year-old was charged with offences including assault attempting to commit rape and three counts of indecent acts.
Unfortunately, The Gold Coast Bulletin has been prevented from covering the full extent of the alleged crimes as three of the offences happened when he was 17.
Representatives of the Gold Coast media yesterday made a joint application to cover the juvenile charges in Childrens Court because of the strong public interest in the case. The application was denied. After deliberating the merits of an open court, Magistrate Julie Shephard denied the presence of the media as it would be prejudicial for the interests of the child under the Childrens Court Act. The teenager’s name was legally suppressed.
The media is only allowed to cover the man’s most recent offences, after he turned 18, which include an indecent act in public at a Varsity Lakes Park on July 14.
The serial offender was allegedly caught masturbating in front of a female jogger. He was also charged with possession of dangerous drugs and possession of utensils.
The Varsity Lakes man did not apply for bail and will remain in custody until he appears in Childrens Court next week.
Principal lawyer of Macpherson Kelley, Justin Quill said the weight of importance of the public’s right to know was often undervalued.
“Regularly I see judges and magistrates not understanding, appreciating or giving enough weight to the importance of the public’s right to know and the media’s responsibility to inform the public,” he said.
“As soon as you start to undermine the media’s rights you are really taking away information from the public and that’s a slippery slope.”
Criminal law expert Bill Potts said the exercise of judicial discretion in the Childrens Court was a balancing act for magistrates “between the public’s right to know and the child’s right to privacy”.
“Those two balances are not always appreciated, nor properly in tune with each other.
“Magistrate Shephard is experienced and respected.”
Di Macleod, of the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence, said coverage of cases alleging repeat offences was important for the community.
“It is not usually a one off, and I think that needs to be part of raising community awareness that these people aren’t just unidentified people in the night.”