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Oh Malcolm Roberts, you really know how to screw up dont you. Between lying about your dual nationality, lying about getting tickets to Trumps inauguration now this. One Nation candidate and former senator criticised for âabsolutely appalling decisionâ not to stand down staffer, who was charged with rape in May. Malcolm Roberts, the disqualified One Nation senator now running for a Queensland state seat, retained an accused rapist as his adviser for five months. It appears this same clown Sean Black has a number of assault charges against him. Wonder why this website hammers Roberts?
Sean Black, who worked for Roberts until the senator was ruled ineligible by the high court last Friday, was charged with rape and six counts of assault on 24 May.
Blackâs arrest was widely reported but the rape charge, confirmed at the time by Queensland police to Guardian Australia, could not be made public for legal reasons.
The ban on reporting has been lifted now that Black has been committed to trial in the Queensland district court.
Hetty Johnson, a prominent advocate for victims of sexual crime and an independent candidate in the seat of Macalister, said Roberts had made an âabsolutely appalling decisionâ by not standing Black down when he was charged.
âIt lacks any kind of moral integrity towards alleged victims of crime,â she said.
A Brisbane magistrate ruled on 12 September that the rape charge against Black was supported by sufficient prima facie evidence. Details of the allegations against him still cannot be published. Black was committed to stand trial in the district court on one count of rape and three of assault occasioning bodily harm.
A date for a trial is yet to be set. Black separately faces three counts of common assault in the Brisbane magistrates court.
Black told Fairfax Media, which reported his committal to trial on Thursday, that he was no longer working for Roberts, who is standing for the seat of Ipswich.
Johnson told the Guardian: âYou would expect Sean to have stood himself aside [from his role in Canberra], to be honest. But failing that, you would have to expect a politician, an elected representative would stand him down.
âWeâre talking about somebody whoâs working to change laws and legislation, whose voice is an important part of our democracy.
âNot to say the personâs guilty or not guilty, but thatâs the problem, you donât know, so no â they shouldnât be working for a politician. They should be stood down immediately from any public role, even in a public service role.â
Troy Aggett, who was the endorsed One Nation candidate in Ipswich before Roberts until he quit the party over a falling out to run as an independent, said Roberts had shown a lack of judgment and should have stood Black down.
âI donât think something like that should be taken lightly. Considering the position youâre holding and the impact you can have on legislation being made, I donât you should be advising or anywhere near someone who has an influence on legislation being made.â
Aggett, a former Australian federal police officer, said an AFP officer charged with rape would be stood down immediately without pay.
âI would have thought that if you had those sort of allegations against you that you wouldnât be allowed to work within the parliament realm but apparently you can.â
The Guardian attempted to contact Roberts for comment on Thursday morning.
Black told Fairfax that he was not managing Robertsâ Ipswich campaign, but was âa friend of Malcolmâsâ.
âThat is the only role I have in his endeavours. Any claims to other roles is [sic] inaccurate.â
Black was charged after a police investigation that began when a complaint was lodged in August 2016.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/02/malcolm-roberts-kept-accused-rapist-sean-black-as-adviser-for-five-months
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