Raymond Timothy Mathieson, formerly known as Australia’s ‘First Bloke,’ confessed in court that he sexually assaulted a woman in Melbourne last year, as they watched a Whitney Houston documentary. The personal transgression occurred when Mathieson inappropriately initiated an intimate action by sucking on the woman’s nipple.
The 67-year-old Mathieson presented himself before the Melbourne Magistrates Court and subsequently pleaded guilty to the grave sexual misconduct charge. Magistrate Belinda Franjic did not diminish the severity of his actions, categorizing the incident as “a serious example of sexual assault”.
Franjic unequivocally emphasized the circumstances surrounding the assault. According to her: “It involved a victim who is vulnerable by virtue of being asleep. It occurred in the victim’s own home which makes it particularly egregious”. She also pointed out the tenacity shown by Mathieson in his illicit actions after the victim woke up and rejected his advances – a factor which evidently aggravates the situation.
During the incident in March last year, Mathieson accepted an informal invitation from the woman to her apartment. The pair enjoyed wine and a roast meal together, consequently settling for a quiet evening with a Whitney Houston documentary. As the woman fell asleep on the couch, she woke up to the unwelcome sensation of Mathieson’s unwanted sexual advance, part of which involved him cupping her right breast.
Despite her immediate resistance and a firm rejection, Mathieson audaciously persevered in his sexual misbehavior before deciding to leave her apartment. The following day, the woman called him to voice her anger and challenge him about the incident. His only response was an apology and a promise of no repetition.
The assault left an indelible mental scar on the victim. She suffered from anxiety, depression, and bulimia as an aftermath to Mathieson’s deplorable act, as her victim impact statement unveiled.
Post the incident, she felt it necessary to move closer to her family to recover from the ordeal, needing their constant “safety and support”. Mathieson’s lawyer, Brad Penno, asserted that his client had earnestly apologized for both, his behavior and the aftermath of his actions.
Mathieson, once a hairdresser, entered the political world and public notice due to his relationship with then-Labor deputy leader Julia Gillard who later became Prime Minister in 2010. This historic occasion made him Australia’s “First Bloke”. His recent offences took place just before his quiet breakup with the former Prime Minister after over a decade.
The former ‘First Bloke’ is currently registered for a men’s behavioral program scheduled to begin early next year, as confirmed by his lawyer.
