An actress named Christie Whelan, who was one of four women to accuse Craig McLachlan of sexually assaulting her during theatre performances, has expressed her outrage at his return to television.
McLachlan had been charged with assault and indecent assault over complaints from female co-stars in a 2014 stage production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show but was acquitted by a magistrate of all charges in December 2020.
Since the accusations came to light in 2018, McLachlan has not held an acting gig until recently when he was revealed to be a contestant on the next season of SAS Australia, where celebrities are put through gruelling tests by ex-special forces.
Whelan, who accused McLachlan of indecent assault when she “felt a finger trace about 2cm down her labia” during a scene when a sheet partially hid her, took to Twitter on Monday to express her frustration about McLachlan’s return to the spotlight.
Referring to McLachlan being referred to as a “controversial former actor,” Whelan stated, “How do we feel about someone charged on multiple sexual assault charges being put back on TV and being referred to simply as a ‘controversial figure’?”
Magistrate Belinda Wallington acquitted McLachlan of all charges in December 2020, but Whelan mentioned that he was tried under outdated consent laws because the alleged crimes were from before they were changed. In contrast, McLachlan merely had to prove that he believed he had consent.
Wallington pointed out that her judgement would likely differ had the case been tried under the post-2015 laws.
Whelan also lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission last month, claiming that the show’s producer, the Gordon Frost Organisation, breached the Sex Discrimination Act.
Her complaint alleged it breached the act by “engaging in sex discrimination, exposing me to unsafe conditions of work, breaching its duty of care towards me, failing to meet work, health and safety standards, and permitting another employee to engage in sex discrimination and sexual harassment.”
McLachlan’s girlfriend, Vanessa Scammell, repeated his insistence that he did nothing wrong and said the lengthy legal proceedings would help his mental preparation.
Ms Scammell said it was “deeply disappointing and frankly very concerning” that the industry did not give him a second chance despite “a full acquittal in a criminal court.” McLachlan flew from Sydney in the past week to film the show overseas.
»Christie Whelan Browne expresses her outrage at Craig McLachlan’s return to television«
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