A 27-year-old woman has been charged with assaulting Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in May this year. The alleged incident occurred after the AFL Dreamtime match between Essendon and Richmond on May 25.
Victoria Police confirmed the woman, believed to be known to Senator Thorpe, faces two counts of recklessly cause injury and three counts of unlawful assault. The accused was arrested in Preston on July 25 and has been bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on October 28.
Senator Thorpe revealed details of the alleged assault on Friday, stating she sustained serious nerve and spinal injuries requiring surgery. 'I sustained serious nerve and spinal injuries in my neck, which required spinal surgery and a plate to be inserted in the back of my neck,' she said. She noted she was ordered by her doctor not to travel and missed parliamentary sittings as a result.
The senator's attendance record has faced scrutiny, with her attending only 45 per cent of parliamentary votes this year. She attributed previous absences to security threats from far-right groups, following advice from the Australian Federal Police.
The Coalition is now examining Senator Thorpe's eligibility to remain in Parliament under section 42 of the Constitution, after she admitted to swearing an oath to the late Queen's 'hairs' rather than her heirs in 2022. Senator Thorpe defended her position, stating she uses her Senate seat to seek justice for Indigenous people.
