Queensland judiciary are finally putting alleged sex offenders, in the spotlight ahead of a trial or magistrates court hearing, last week we got a gag order lifted to name director Dirk Olbertz major shareholder and director of Brisbane based The Crest Company as having been charged with under age sex crimes, yesterday in a sensational development a Queensland Supreme Court judge allowed media organisations to name Bruce Lehrmann as having been charged with rape.
In further developments in the Olbertz case we have discovered that the alleged victim was only 12 years old and not 14 as first reported.
The official charge sheet reveals that Olbertz was charged with three offences relating to the rape of a female under 16 years of age and ‘indecent treatment of girls under 16 years of age.
Dirk Olbertz when he ran a Noosa Hotel while also being a director of The Crest Company
Orbitz’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov 27 in a Brisbane magistrate’s court.
If he contest the charges which he has told ChannelNews he intends to do, evidence will be presented to the magistrate’s court where a decision will be made as to whether the evidence is strong enough for a trial in the District Court.
A barrister who 4Square Media consulted with, relating to the original interim gag order, obtained by lawyers acting for Olbertz against ChannelNews that was eventually denied by a magistrate,, was yesterday successful in getting a gag order lifted that allowed Lehrmann to be identified by Australia’s mainstream media.
Bruce Lehrmann has been charged with rape after a young woman he met in a Toowoomba strip club Googled the Brittany Higgins rape case and then alleged she recognised him as the man who had unprotected sex with her without consent.
The alleged victim told police she realised it was the same man who introduced himself as “Bryce” when they met at the club in October 2021, only a few weeks after he first appeared in court over allegations, he raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House.
Dirk Olbertz Left with the CEO of The Crest Company Centre
The lifting of gag orders in Queensland that allows people charged with sex offences is being implemented following a change in the law that came into effect on the 13th of October 2023.
ChannelNews has been told that Dirk Orbitz whose Company has extensive business dealings with the likes of Big W and Bunnings once owned the Noosa North Shore Retreat which was purchased in 2011 and suddenly sold at a loss in 2012 ,when he also split with his wife.
ChannelNews has extensive information regarding this period of his life which we cannot publish because of the current case before a Queensland Court.
In the Lehrmann case the judge took a brutal swipe at the accused as he lost a legal battle to keep his identity secret in a high-profile rape case.
Bruce Lehmann seen leaving Court
Judge Peter Applegarth when making his decision to dismiss a non-publication order which protected the accused’s identity.
Mr Applegarth said that Mr Lehrmann’s decision to take part in the Spotlight interview – as well as other interviews on Sunrise and Sky News – were at odds with his lawyer’s claims that media coverage of the new allegations could damage his mental health.
‘A cynic might say: “I hope Channel Seven paid him, or his solicitors, a lot of money”, for the consequences it had on his application, if nothing else,’ Mr Applegarth said in court yesterday.
Lehrmann has not entered a plea to the charges but denies the allegations.
Mr Lehrmann conducted an interview with Channel Seven earlier this year – something which was taken into account by Queensland Supreme Court Judge Peter Applegarth when making his decision to dismiss a non-publication order which protected the accused’s identity.
Mr Applegarth said that Mr Lehrmann’s decision to take part in the Spotlight interview – as well as other interviews on Sunrise and Sky News – were at odds with his lawyer’s claims that media coverage of the new allegations could damage his mental health.
‘A cynic might say: “I hope Channel Seven paid him, or his solicitors, a lot of money”, for the consequences it had on his application, if nothing else,’ Mr Applegarth said.
