The father of one of Milton Orkopoulos’ alleged victims claimed he tried to alert Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd that another MP had covered up warnings that Orkopoulos was preying on children.
But the former PM says he has no memory of being informed of any complaint reaching his office.
Read More: Milton Orkopoulos to face court on 15 new child sex abuse offences
Orkopoulos this week was charged with charged with 15 new child sex abuse offences. Police allege Orkopoulos sexually and indecently assaulted two juvenile boys known to him on separate occasions in the 1990s at locations in Lake Macquarie and on the NSW mid-north coast.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the father of one of the victims, who made allegations towards the former MP in 2014, claims the matter had not been properly handled by police or the Labor Party.
The father claimed he wrote to Mr Rudd, then the prime minister, in 2009, naming a Federal MP he said was made aware in 1997 that Orkopoulos allegedly abused his son. He claims he received a response from an adviser saying it was inappropriate for the PM’s office to interfere in state matters and he should contact law enforcement.
But a spokesman for Mr Rudd said thousands of messages reached the office of the prime minister each week and he has “zero recollection” of hearing such information.
“Mr Rudd’s office as prime minister would have received thousands of items of correspondence each week,” the spokesman said. “These were routinely dealt with either by the correspondence unit attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, by staff members or by the public service.”
Mr Rudd said he had no recollection of hearing any rumours about other victims nor recalls any engagement with any other MPs about the matter.
“The staffer’s purported advice (to the father) was to take the matter to state law enforcement, as opposed to in any way concealing the matter or letting it drop,” the spokesman said.
There is no suggestion Mr Rudd ever received the letters personally.
Orkopoulos was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court via audio-visual link on Tuesday.
The convicted paedophile spent 11-and-a-half years in jail after he was convicted of 30 child sex, drug and child porn offences.
“As you would expect, coming forward in relation to being a victim of a sexual offence is a very traumatic experience,” said Superintendent Sullivan. “We are very thankful for the courage shown.”
Sourced By: Daily Telegraoh/The Greek Herald
