‘Uncle’ in child sex trial

A FAR North Jehovah's Witness elder on trial for child abuse claimed one of his accusers “concocted” a story for police.

Donald Stephen Beinke has pleaded not guilty to indecently touching three girls in the 1980s and 1990s.

The complainant girls were daughters of couples who attended the church and knew the defendant as “Uncle Don”.

Cairns District Court this week heard a 1993 police interview in which Mr Beinke denied ever being alone with one of the girls, whose statement to police eventually sparked a historical investigation in 2016.

“I wouldn’t put myself in a position to be with her alone; never ever,” Mr Beinke told detectives. “It was nicely concocted – I had nothing to do with that thing.”

He told police the complainant girl had received “hidings” from her parents for lying.

Defending solicitor Michael Dalton told the jury the nowwoman’s testimony was “fundamentally inconsistent” as to what she was wearing during one of two alleged incidents.

“(The allegation) is not true,” Mr Dalton said.

The woman’s allegations were two of the four charges against Mr Beinke.

The jury also heard from a Crown witness who said the defendant had rubbed his hand under her dress while she sat on his lap as a girl.

“His hand moved down my back to (under) my underwear, to my bum,” the witness said.

“His touch was very shaky he had trembling hands.”

She denied Mr Dalton’s suggestion that “it never happened.”

“Something that happened to you that gives an emotional response stays with you for a long time,” the witness said.

“I have told my children to stay away from that man.”