A MAN cleared of a serious sexual assault allegation by a jury in just 20 minutes said yesterday he was taking action against police and the complainant.
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The now 72-year-old former Sydney chiropractor and osteopath was charged with assaulting a female (under 16) with an act of indecency in 1971.
He was found not guilty on August 23 at the end of a seven-day trial in Downing Centre District Court.
The trial came 12 months after the man was arrested in Wagga by two detectives from Manly.
It was alleged the man assaulted a 12-year-old girl during a consultation in his then North Shore practice, a claim he strongly denied.
“I am in the process of talking to compensation lawyers in relation to suing the state for an unlawful arrest in the first place, then their conduct during the investigation,” said the man, who represented himself at the trial.
“I am also going to sue the complainant for a false allegation.”
Among the man’s claims are that:
- The complainant being told her alleged attacker would be in a certain courtroom on a certain day so she could refresh her memory of what he looked like;
- Police suggesting to the complainant’s brother that he change his statement to say that it was possible their mother could have left the consultation room and left his sister and the chiropractor alone.
- Prosecutors chose not to investigate Yellow Pages evidence given by the man that he was not practising at the premises at the time it was alleged the assault took place.
The man said he was writing to the Commissioner of Police to complain about the actions of police in the case and also complaining to the Law Society about the complainant, who is a lawyer.
He said following the laying of the charge against him the Chiropractic Council had imposed restrictions on his practice that had a caused loss of income.
He is demanding the restrictions be removed.
The man said said he had also suffered a loss of reputation over the case and had been the subject of malicious gossip in Wagga.