An Indigenous tour guide accused of raping multiple women over a number of years was in a consenting sexual relationship with the prosecution's lead witness when the alleged offences occurred, a West Australian court has heard.
WARNING: This story contains graphic details of alleged sexual assaults that readers may find distressing.
Joseph Luke Williams is facing 12 charges of sexual penetration without consent and two charges of indecent assault, all of which he has denied.
On the second day of his trial in Albany District Court, the jury heard evidence from a Denmark woman who alleged Mr Williams sexually assaulted her over a period of several months in 2010 and 2011.
The complainant, who said she was trying to conceive a child with her husband at the time, told the court that Mr Williams acted under the pretence that his actions were traditional fertility rituals.
Under questioning from Mr Williams's defence lawyer, Bruno Illari, the woman said she had met the accused at a public event in 2010.
She told the court she accepted Mr Williams's offer to try and improve her fertility using traditional Aboriginal methods after confiding that she was having trouble falling pregnant.
The woman said Mr Williams later sexually assaulted her during a camping trip at Mount Trio, in the Stirling Range National Park.
She also told the court that on another occasion Mr Williams assaulted her with an act he described as a "birthing preparation ceremony".
The complainant, who was pregnant by that time, also alleged that on another occasion Mr Williams had tricked her into believing he could induce her to lactate.
Mr Illari put it to the woman that Mr Williams had never promoted himself to her or any of his alleged victims as an Aboriginal elder or a person with specific knowledge of traditional healing practices.
Mr Illari suggested the complainant had been in a consensual relationship with the accused at the time and said she had continued to associate with him in private and in public throughout the period, even after the alleged offences had occurred.
He told the court the pair had consensual sex "several" times, including during bush tours, on a trip to Broome, and at complainant's house.
Mr Illari told the court that the complainant was "infatuated" with the defendant and only made the allegations after Mr Williams began a relationship with another woman, making her jealous.
The jury was shown a photograph of the witness and four friends taken by Mr Williams in the Stirling Range National Park.
Each of the women was naked and wearing body paint at a supposed sacred site.
Mr Illari said the photograph, which showed the witness smiling and appearing to look at ease, was inconsistent with her claim that she had been uncomfortable being naked in a group setting.
But the complainant denied all suggestions she was a willing participant in a sexual relationship with Mr Williams.
She said she had been convinced the defendant was an expert on traditional Aboriginal ceremonies and rituals and was a person she had respected.
She denied having sex with Mr Williams other than during the Mount Trio camping trip, which she said she only permitted under the belief he was performing a traditional fertility ritual.
The witness told the court she had never been sexually attracted to Mr Williams.
She also denied she had reported the defendant to police out of jealousy.
The woman told the court she made the report as a "last resort" and had been concerned about the impact of the allegations on the "good people in his family".
She said she made the decision to come forward after Mr Williams showed no remorse for his alleged crimes when she confronted him during a chance encounter years later.
A second woman who alleged Mr Williams sexually assaulted her after offering to use traditional methods to "help" with headaches and trauma she suffered from childhood sexual abuse also took the stand on Wednesday afternoon.
She told the court Mr Williams arrived at her house one day after drinking at a neighbour's house and was allowed in after he introduced himself.
She said he described himself as a "law man" and that roughly two weeks later he took her to "a special women's place" on the Hay River, near Denmark, where he said he would be able to treat her anxiety.
There, she alleged, he asked her to strip naked to be like the "traditional Noongar girls" and painted "healing symbols" on her body.
The court heard several other trips occurred across the region that the woman said she understood to be for the purpose of performing traditional healing rituals.
The complainant said the trips included several more visits to the same area of the Hay River.
She told the court that on one occasion Mr Williams asked her to lie in the dirt and then he rubbed oil on her upper body, including her breasts.
During another visit to the area, the woman said she and Mr Williams stripped naked and that he held her afloat in the water and touched her back with a "vibrating" stone.
She told the court they later visited the Mount Lindesay National Park north of Denmark and that Mr Williams had her strip naked before he rubbed an oiled stone across her body.
She said on that occasion that he unexpectedly pushed the stone inside her.
The complainant said she ceased contact with Mr Williams after an alleged incident at the Stirling Range National Park.
She told the court Mr Williams performed a similar act with a rock and then suggested they have sexual intercourse.
Mr Illari questioned the woman's memory of the events and told the court that she too had willingly entered into a sexual relationship with Mr Williams.
Mr Illari said the allegations involving the stones were fabricated.
He said the second complainant had consented to having intercourse with Mr Williams at Mount Lindesay and in the Stirling Range National Park.
The woman disagreed with Mr Illari's suggestions.
At the conclusion of the day's proceedings, prosecutor Beau Sertorio said he expected to conclude the state's case on or about February 24.
The trial, presided over by Judge Christopher Peter Stevenson, continues.
Here is the original post:
Rape trial hears Indigenous tour guide offered to help alleged victims with fertility, trauma - ABC News
- Fertility and infertility: Definition and epidemiology - PubMed - June 15th, 2022
- A new era in the economics of fertility | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal - voxeu.org - June 15th, 2022
- Boost Fertility in Your 30s With 8 Easy, Actionable Tips - Camille Styles - June 15th, 2022
- Fertility firm boss happy to have the chat with potential suitors - Sydney Morning Herald - June 15th, 2022
- Baby Fever season 1 review - a wholesome but complicated dramedy on fertility - Ready Steady Cut - June 15th, 2022
- Fertility on ice: The cost of freezing your eggs - Money magazine - June 15th, 2022
- Employer fertility benefits are on the rise amid the Great Resignation - MSNBC - June 6th, 2022
- Heres How Microplastics Pose Risk To Womens Health And Fertility | Femina.in - Femina - June 6th, 2022
- How Abortion Decisions Could Impact IVF, According To A Fertility Doctor Whos Done It - Refinery29 - June 6th, 2022
- Environmental hazards and intoxicants impact fertility and overall TFR - Daily Pioneer - June 6th, 2022
- Fighting infertility? Obesity can affect fertility in men and women; check how you can increase your chances o - Times Now - June 6th, 2022
- Why We Need Gender-Inclusive Terms for 'Father' and 'Mother' - VICE - January 11th, 2022
- Do the COVID-19 vaccines affect my chances of pregnancy? - November 15th, 2021
- COVID-19 Q&A: Addressing concerns about fertility and the vaccine - WVTM13 - November 15th, 2021
- Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) to host donor egg treatment webinar for patients from the United Kingdom - PR Web - November 15th, 2021
- Fertile man formally charged in Oklee shooting - Thief River Falls Northern Watch - November 15th, 2021
- Expert: We have zero evidence COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility - WNEM Saginaw - November 4th, 2021
- Jewish Fertility Foundation hosts formal kick-off event Nov 4 - Village Living - November 4th, 2021
- Colorado Fertility Mandate Will Not Go Into Effect On January 1, 2022 - Above the Law - November 4th, 2021
- Get the Facts on the Vax: Viewer questions answered about the COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 - KCRA Sacramento - November 4th, 2021
- It took me six years of IVF and two miscarriages to realise fertility support in the UK is broken - The Independent - November 4th, 2021
- Over one third of employers fail to offer fertility support - COVER - November 4th, 2021
- Chemicals found in everyday products found to be harmful to fertility - Mega Doctor News - November 4th, 2021
- Global Sperm Bank Market Size & Share to Clock Impressive GrowthProjected to Reach USD 5970.0 Million by 2027 - GlobeNewswire - November 4th, 2021
- Fertility Concerns And Breakthrough Infections: Debunking Common Myths About COVID Vaccines - WYPR - August 26th, 2021
- The fertility industry is poorly regulated and would-be parents can lose out on having children as a result - Westport News - August 26th, 2021
- What You Need To Know About Pregnancy, Fertility And The COVID-19 Vaccine - WBHM - August 26th, 2021
- I didnt want to burn a year of fertility: The pandemic postponed their weddings. But not their babies - The Boston Globe - August 26th, 2021
- Remote Work Is Creating a Digital Divide in Fertility - The Atlantic - August 26th, 2021
- Beijing wants women to have more babies. So why isn't it loosening rules on egg freezing? - CNN - August 26th, 2021
- Australia's fertility rate is at a record low. This expert says it's a disaster waiting to happen - ABC News - August 26th, 2021
- South Korea's Total Fertility Rate Continuing to Fall - BusinessKorea - August 26th, 2021
- Fertility Matters Canada Announces First-of-its-Kind National Event to Raise Awareness for the Unspoken Side of Fertility - Canada NewsWire - August 26th, 2021
- What do we know about Covid-19 vaccines and fertility? - Full Fact - August 26th, 2021
- Couple with unexplained fertility given 3% chance of conceiving welcome 'miracle' baby - The Mirror - August 26th, 2021
- 'Darcey & Stacey': Stacey Silva and Florian Sukaj Have a Conversation After Seeing a Fertility Doctor: 'We Have to Go Through This Whole Process,... - August 26th, 2021
- Ontario's Top Doc Says There Is 'No Evidence' That A COVID-19 Vaccine Will Affect Your Fertility - Narcity Canada - August 26th, 2021
- On Indias population, let the data speak - The Indian Express - August 26th, 2021
- Merz and Israeli Start-Up Vensica Launch Partnership for Needleless Treatment of Overactive Bladder - Business Wire - August 12th, 2021
- FACT CHECK: Do COVID-19 vaccines hamper fertility in unmarried women? - Internatinal Centre For Investigative Reporting - July 29th, 2021
- Ovation Fertility Deploys Matcher Across Its Nationwide Network of IVF and Genetics Labs - GlobeNewswire - July 29th, 2021
- The Promise and Perils of the New Fertility Entrepreneurs - The New Yorker - May 23rd, 2021
- Does the COVID-19 vaccine in teens, young adults pose fertility risks? - WCVB Boston - May 23rd, 2021
- Scott Winship: Don't Believe Horror Stories About Fertility Rates, Income Inequality, and Economic Mobility - Reason - May 23rd, 2021
- From A Fertility Doctor: Why I Believe Misinformation Is A Leading Cause Of Infertility - Scary Mommy - May 23rd, 2021
- Hysteria over declining fertility rates is just another manifestation of white supremacy - Thought Leader - May 23rd, 2021
- How to keep stress and anxiety at bay during your fertility treatment amid the COVID 19 crisis? - PINKVILLA - May 23rd, 2021
- Should we use fewer condoms to boost fertility? EJINSIGHT - EJ Insight - May 23rd, 2021
- 'I Started Fertility Treatment Alone And In Another Country' The Reality Of Trying For A Baby Alone In A Pandemic - Grazia - April 7th, 2021
- PCOS and Fertility: What women can do about it? - The Tribune India - March 10th, 2021
- Coronavirus and fertility - Modern Diplomacy - March 10th, 2021
- Hilaria Baldwin and the Strange Allure of Celebrity Fertility - The New York Times - March 10th, 2021
- Biblical fertility amulet found by 11-year-old in the Negev - The Jerusalem Post - March 10th, 2021
- COVID-19 vaccine side effects: Can any COVID shots affect fertility? Here is all you need to know - Times Now - March 10th, 2021
- BLEVINS: Good fertility will help insure productive pastures - Bristol Herald Courier - March 10th, 2021
- No Smoking Day 2021: Impact of Smoking on Fertility and Childbirth - News18 - March 10th, 2021
- Grieving for the family I never had: When fertility treatment fails - Yahoo Sports - March 10th, 2021
- Is deceased Cincinnati fertility doctor the missing link for these newly discovered half-siblings? - WCPO - March 10th, 2021
- 'But I want to have a baby' | COVID-19 vaccine and fertility - WZZM13.com - March 10th, 2021
- Docuseries Seeds of Deceit Unravels Twisted Tale of Fertility Doctor Who Used His Own Sperm - Variety - March 10th, 2021
- Yes, The COVID Baby Bust Is Real Unless Youre Rich - Refinery29 - March 10th, 2021
- Fertility Testing Market is Expected to Register a Considerable Growth by 2026 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - March 10th, 2021
- A dark horse in the Ethereum scaling wars? Chainlink's oracles find fertile ground on xDai - CTOvision - March 10th, 2021
- Theres more to fertility treatments than just IVF - The Indian Express - March 10th, 2021
- FTC Settlement With Fertility-Tracking App May Have Costly Ramifications for Companies Who Use Third-Party Data Analytics Software - JD Supra - February 20th, 2021
- Would Americans Have More Babies if the Government Paid Them? - Yahoo News - February 20th, 2021
- Stem cells can give new life to ovaries and potentially restore fertility - Massive Science - February 17th, 2021
- Fertility Among Immigrants and Native-Born Americans - Immigration Blog - February 17th, 2021
- Boost your fertility with oysters, seaweed and other foods - Lowvelder - February 17th, 2021
- Shropshire professor appointed to world-leading fertility organisation - shropshirestar.com - February 17th, 2021
- Do you really need IVF? This free online tool can help you weigh up your options - News24 - February 17th, 2021
- How A Once-In-A-Lifetime Pandemic Created Fertile Ground For Workplace And Organizational Transformation - Forbes - February 16th, 2021
- Fertility play Virtus Health continues its strong form with profits doubling - Stockhead - February 16th, 2021
- Trumps Popularity Among Republicans Is on the Rise - New York Magazine - February 16th, 2021
- The fertility hormone test you can take at home | Modern ... - February 14th, 2021
- Men's Clinic in Johannesburg | Men's Clinic, Penis ... - February 14th, 2021
- The best 10 Gynaecology & Obstetrics in Johannesburg 2021 - February 14th, 2021
- Governor Cuomo Announces New Actions to Expand Access to Fertility Coverage for Same Sex Couples as Part of 2021 Women's Agenda - ny.gov - February 14th, 2021
- Utah bill would help Medicaid patients diagnosed with cancer preserve ability to have children - Salt Lake Tribune - February 14th, 2021
- Column: Everyone has to pay when America gets too old - Yakima Herald-Republic - February 14th, 2021