Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton has publicly backed former Queensland Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, urging the media not to include her name in reporting on rape allegations against her partner, Dr Reza Adib.
On Friday, Reza Adib, 65, was charged with three counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and two counts of deprivation of liberty after police alleged he attacked a woman in her 30s at his Burleigh Heads residence on March 30. As the allegations dominated front pages nationwide, Dutton said Palaszczuk was being unfairly drawn into the controversy.
"Given it has been established that Annastacia Palaszczuk has nothing to do with the serious allegations now before the court, it is reasonable to ask whether continued use of her name in reporting is necessary," Dutton stated. "Regardless of political views, there should be consideration for an individual who is already dealing with a difficult personal situation."
Detectives raided Adib's luxury Gold Coast apartment on Thursday, seizing several items under a crime scene warrant after what police described as extensive investigations. He later attended Southport police station on Friday afternoon, accompanied by his lawyer.
Law firm Robertson O'Gorman said Adib was shocked by the allegations and was taking the matter very seriously. "Like all persons accused of a crime, he is presumed to be innocent and intends to vigorously defend the charges," lawyer Dan Rogers said in a statement. "Right now, Dr Adib is primarily concerned about the welfare of his family and his patients and he will do whatever it takes to ensure that they are looked after in the coming weeks." The statement added that Adib had asked the media to respect the privacy of his family and patients and would not comment while the case was before the courts.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Ms Palaszczuk. Adib, who specialises in laparoscopic procedures and claims to have performed more than 20,000 operations, began a relationship with Ms Palaszczuk in 2021.
The charges come as the former premier promotes her memoir, The Politics of Being Me. Ms Palaszczuk fronted a Gold Coast event on Thursday evening as news of the investigation broke and told an audience member she knew nothing about the matter and was unable to comment. She stayed to autograph her biography, calmly posing for pictures before leaving the event and refusing to comment when approached by the media. Ms Palaszczuk has since cancelled several events.
Adib is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on May 14.
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