Grammar old boy charge
Paralympic hero accused of covertly filming student
A FETED Paralympian and former Young Victorian of the Year has been charged with covertly filming a student during a physiotherapy session at Geelong Grammar last year.
Cameron Rahles-Rahbula, 38, was investigated by detectives from the Geelong sexual offences and child abuse investigation team after an incident at the elite school on October 20 last year.
Geelong police said a 38year-old Belmont man had been charged with knowingly using “an optical surveillance device and attempt to commit an indictable offence”.
A father of two, Mr RahlesRahbula was awarded the Young Victorian of the Year Award in 2004 and competed in four Paralympics, culminating with him carrying the Australian flag at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
He won two bronze medals in Vancouver and was Paralympian of the Year in 2010.
Mr Rahles-Rahbula is also an acclaimed old scholar from Geelong Grammar. He entered the boarding house in 1996 and took part in the school’s gruelling Timbertop program, despite losing his lower leg to bone cancer at 14.
A school newsletter described his efforts as “the stuff of school legend”.
A spokesman for Geelong Grammar said the “safety and wellbeing of students are the school’s highest priorities”.
“Upon becoming aware of an incident on campus involving an external service provider, the school activated our student safety protocols and immediately notified Victoria Police,” the spokesman said.
“As the matter is before the courts, we are unable to comment on it further.”
Mr Rahles-Rahbula has been registered as a physiotherapist since 2008 but has also been suspended by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency.
No conditions, undertakings or reprimands have been placed on his registration.
He has an honours degree in physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne and in 2004 was awarded the Melbourne University Sportsman of the Year honour.
While at Melbourne University, Mr Rahles-Rahbula lived at Trinity College, and in 2010 graced the cover of the institution’s magazine, which hailed him as a “Paralympic triumph”.
He will appear at Geelong Magistrates’ Court in October.