An Australian reality star charged with numerous sexual assault offences has won the right to keep her identity hidden after a recent suicide attempt.
**TRIGGER WARNING: the following discusses sexual assault and suicide, and may be distressing to some readers.
In September, it was reported that a woman featured on a Channel 7 reality show was facing several charges involving offences she allegedly committed in multiple locations in Queensland.
The charges included 17 counts of indecent treatment of children aged under 16, eight counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, two counts of torture and further assaults, reports Daily Mail.
Her partner was also reportedy charged with seven counts of assault and must remain unidentified for legal reasons.
Queensland police allege the offences occurred between 2005 and 2023.
The woman obtained a court order to conceal her identity after new laws came into effect on October 3, allowing certain people who’d been accused of sexual offences in Queensland to be named.
Despite media organisations and lawyers for the alleged victims attempting to fight the order, Magistrate Aaron Simpson ruled for it to be upheld on October 30.
Australian reality star wins the right to keep her identity hidden after suicide attempt
When making his decision, Magistrate Simpson voiced concerns for the unnamed TV star’s mental health after she “spontaneously” attempted suicide on September 15.
According to documents presented in court, the woman was feeling “hopeless and helpless” about the situation. This caused her to have “half a glass of red wine” with a Valium as per her friend’s suggestion.
However, the reality star, who had a “complex past personal and medical history”, wasn’t “thinking properly” and “didn’t want to be here anymore”, causing her to attempt suicide.
She was shortly rushed to hospital before being released under continuous supervision and support from her loved ones.
After she was hospitalised, the woman was assessed by a forensic psychologist, who found that the allegations had a “profoundly adverse” impact on her mental health.
He also said she was struggling to function due to symptoms of depression and anxiety and that she remained at high risk of suicide.
According to the psychologist, the woman was confronted by a media outlet in a car park on October 3. This encounter “perpetuated” her existing mental health disorders and made her fear for her safety.
“The release of her identity to the broader public poses a significant destabilising factor upon her mental state and her capacity for judgment and reasoning,” the psychologist noted in his report.
He added: “As such, the risk of intentional self-harm and/or suicide remains high. The aggravating factor is her related impairments in self-regulation which are a product of her mental health disorder, as evidenced by her suicide attempt.”
The woman in question fears ‘vigilante’ retaliation if identity is revealed
Per Daily Mail, the woman’s lawyers expressed she is terrified of being stalked and attacked by the public if her identity is revealed.
“[The defendant] fears for her safety and feels there is evidence vigilantes will attempt to harm them, destroy property or reveal their identity to the wider public,” a medical report for the court by clinical psychologist Dr Luke Hatzipetrou read.
“Coupled with online abuse …she is confronted with statements or questions suggesting she perpetrated the alleged offences.”
The court also heard details of a specific incident in which the woman was convinced a group of men were going to confront her in a shopping centre car park.
“She recalled returning to her vehicle after grocery shopping and observing three men alight from another vehicle in close proximity to hers,” her lawyers explained.
“For various reasons, she believes these people must have followed her from her home to the shops.”
They added: “The defendant referred to increased anxiety that manifested into a panic attack when she got home. She got into her car, called her lawyer [and] locked the door.”
It was later revealed the men were news reporters to confronted the TV personality following changes to Queensland legislation regarding those accused of sexual offences.
Magistrate Simpson says the woman’s personal safety holds more importance than publicly identifying her
In his judgement, Magistrate Simpson said “there would be few better examples of a special vulnerability of a defendant” for meeting the criteria of a suppression order.
He also noted that the TV personality was a “fragile person that is a risk to herself’.
Ultimately, he concluded that the woman’s safety held more importance than the argument that she should be identified.
The matter will return to court for a committal hearing in November.
The ruling comes as part of revised Queensland legislation
It comes as part of Queensland’s revised legislation regarding naming individuals accused of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault, per The Courier Mail.
As of October 3, accused sexual offenders can be publicly identified unless they successfully seek a non-publication order, bringing Queensland in line with all jurisdictions except NT.
It was a recommendation of the landmark Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce.
However, on the eve of the changes being made, the woman was granted an interim non-publication order. This means she would’ve remained anonymous until it was lifted.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a sexual assault, please contact the Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence National Help Line on 1800 Respect (1800 737 732) or head to The Australian Human Rights Commission for a list of state by state resources.
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