Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Mark Latham Denies Domestic Abuse Claims and Recording Allegations

Latham will contest the AVO alleging domestic abuse following reports that he recorded sexual encounters in his parliamentary office.

Image
Image
Image
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Mark Latham speaks in the NSW Upper House on September 24, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. The Upper House of the NSW parliament is continuing to debate whether to decriminalise abortion.  The Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 - which was introduced by Independent Alex Greenwich and co-sponsored by 15 MPs from across all sides of politics - passed the NSW Legislative Assembly on 8 August.  If the bill passes, it will remove abortion from the Crimes Act and will regulate it as a medical procedure, with extra safeguards for abortions after 22 weeks' gestation. Abortions have been on the criminal code in NSW since 1900 with a penalty of 10 years in prison. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Overview

  • In his first radio interview since the allegations, Latham called all claims “absolutely untrue” and said he will present documents in his defense at the July 30 Downing Centre court mention.
  • Multiple sources told The Age that Latham used his NSW Parliament office to film sexual encounters, a detail he did not dispute but described as inappropriate rather than illegal.
  • Nathalie Matthews’s AVO application outlines a sustained pattern of emotional, financial and degrading sexual abuse and seeks an interim order to keep Latham at least 100 metres away and a two-year final order.
  • NSW Police confirmed they declined to lay charges or file an order on Matthews’s behalf, making her AVO a private court action.
  • Premier Chris Minns urged the courts to establish the truth, and Upper House leader Penny Sharpe plans to move a privileges committee referral when parliament resumes in August.