Cricket Australia communications boss Tim Whittaker was found guilty<\/a> in Melbourne Magistrates court of sexually assaulting junior Cricket Australia employee Reuben Williams following an alcohol-fuelled staff party in March 2019.<\/p>\nWhat wasn\u2019t detailed in court, but can be revealed by The Saturday Telegraph in full detail now, is that Cricket Australia investigated other claims concerning Whittaker\u2019s predatory behaviour and abuse of alcohol issues at the exact time the Cultural Review was being handed down.<\/p>\n
This followed allegations concerning an incident which occurred on an Australian cricket tour in the UAE in October 2018.<\/p>\n
An incident which now poses the inescapable question Cricket Australia must confront:<\/p>\n
Did the organisation fail to take adequate steps that could have prevented Reuben Williams from being exposed to Whittaker\u2019s predatory behaviour in March 2019?<\/p>\n
In October 2018, just five months prior to one of the two sexual assaults Whittaker was this week found guilty of committing, a different staffer claims he had his genitals grabbed by Whittaker at a hotel bar in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n
He went back to Whittaker\u2019s hotel room for more drinks and claims he was later invited to lay on the bed before he abruptly left the room.<\/p>\n
The staffer said he reported the matter to Cricket Australia at the time, but after an investigation CA only ordered Whittaker to deliver the victim a formal apology.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy reason for reporting this matter to Cricket Australia at the time was to prevent another employee feeling like they were taken advantage of and that if this behaviour was repeated by Tim Whittaker then Cricket Australia would have it recorded,\u201d the man said in a statement provided to this masthead.<\/p>\n
This cuts to the core of why a profound level of soul searching must now take place within the halls of Cricket Australia.<\/p>\n
HOW CRICKET AUSTRALIA HANDLED SHOCKING ABU DHABI CLAIMS<\/b><\/p>\n
Whittaker was found guilty in the Melbourne Magistrate\u2019s Court on Thursday over two separate allegations of sexual assault, one from 2016 and one from 2019, from two different men involved in cricket, not known to each other, who said they woke from an intoxicated night of sleep to Whittaker masturbating them.<\/p>\n
Evidence given by two friends of Williams, the March 2019 victim who met their mate for breakfast just hours after he had been assaulted in Whittaker\u2019s Richmond apartment following the CA staff party, was telling.<\/p>\n
They gave evidence that their friend presented as \u201cvisibly upset\u201d and \u201cvisibly distressed\u201d when he sat down for breakfast that morning.<\/p>\n
As a reporter covering the 2018 Abu Dhabi tour, I could relate to this description, because I saw it so clearly in the demeanour of my friend, the young CA staffer, the morning after he had spent a night in Whittaker\u2019s company at the Abu Dhabi hotel in October 2018.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s evidence I and other journalists on the tour would have been able to provide Cricket Australia\u2019s investigators had they ever called as part of the in-house investigation into Whittaker\u2019s behaviour on that tour.<\/p>\n
The only phone call I received was from a Cricket Australia executive weeks later, after the investigation had been completed.<\/p>\n
The executive said Whittaker had been spoken to about how inappropriate his excessive alcohol purchasing and consumption was for a person in his position.<\/p>\n
The executive said Whittaker had been ordered to apologise to the young employee for his unprofessional behaviour and had been put on leave for a couple of weeks before the home summer of cricket commenced.<\/p>\n
In my view the CA executive was attempting to minimalize what had happened and was overlooking the power imbalance that was at play.<\/p>\n
However, I also blame myself. I did not push back on the senior CA executive in the conversation when I had the chance; and it is something I have regretted ever since, and particularly now.<\/p>\n
I know of one other journalist who also received an unprompted call from a different CA executive, also attempting to minimalize the encounter between Whittaker and the junior staffer.<\/p>\n
The phone calls were each received not months, but just weeks after CA delivered their infamous cultural review findings.<\/p>\n
When Whittaker returned to work, Cricket Australia didn\u2019t put any measures in place to separate him from the young staffer in the workplace, and the young staffer felt uncomfortable when Whittaker engaged him in conversation when they bumped into each other at Adelaide Oval before a Test match in December 2018.<\/p>\n
While the Abu Dhabi claims were never the subject of criminal charges, did CA\u2019s failure to act strongly on Whittaker months earlier come back to haunt the organisation and impact the life of another young employee?<\/p>\n
INSIDE THE 2019 CA STAFF PARTY <\/b><\/p>\n
March 15, 2019 and Cricket Australia is holding its annual end of year staff party at Half Acre bar in South Melbourne.<\/p>\n
It doubled as Whittaker\u2019s farewell from Cricket Australia as he\u2019d just accepted a new job as a Communications manager for the International Cricket Council in Dubai.<\/p>\n
In the words of Whittaker in his police interview, the function was, \u201clike most CA events, highly fuelled on alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n
Multiple witnesses have confirmed that at the Half Acre party, a senior CA executive gave a rousing speech in honour of the departing Whittaker, lauding him as the ultimate employee for epitomising CA\u2019s work hard, play hard ethos.<\/p>\n
Those in the room familiar with the claims relating to the Abu Dhabi incident were appalled at the hero worship rhetoric.<\/p>\n
According to Whittaker\u2019s evidence at trial, about half the staff, including Cricket Australia\u2019s then CEO Kevin Roberts, then kicked on from Half Acre to an after party at The Exchange Hotel in Port Melbourne where things got so boozy that CA\u2019s security manager got into a punch up with another employee.<\/p>\n
The previous year, a staff member exited CA following an undisclosed incident at the corresponding end of season party.<\/p>\n
At The Exchange Hotel after-party, Whittaker conceded in evidence it was likely he bought colleagues, including the man he was to later sexually assault at his apartment, a \u201cFireball shot\u201d of alcohol.<\/p>\n
After 2am a small group of CA employees then went back to Whittaker\u2019s apartment in Richmond for more drinking.<\/p>\n
On the Monday after the raucous night out, Williams, the young man sexually assaulted by Whittaker made a complaint to Cricket Australia\u2019s People and Culture department that he felt Whittaker \u201cseemed to be particularly plying him with drinks\u201d back at his apartment. Although this specific claim was not necessarily supported by other witnesses on the night.<\/p>\n
Hours later, at about 5am, when all other staff members had finally left Whittaker\u2019s apartment, the sleeping young employee woke to Whittaker masturbating his penis.<\/p>\n
\u2018BELIEVE SURVIVORS\u2019: REUBEN WILLIAMS\u2019 POWERFUL STATEMENT <\/b><\/p>\n
The victim, Reuben Williams, bravely spoke about his four-year ordeal via a post to LinkedIn on Thursday night as he finally received closure for an incident stemming from the work party.<\/p>\n
\u201c4 years ago I woke up to being sexually assaulted by a male colleague after a staff party,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, he was finally found guilty. I can\u2019t explain how relieved I feel right now. 2019 was comfortably the worst year of my life, I had my power taken away that night, and I\u2019ve fought 4 years to get it back.<\/p>\n
\u201c4 years of investigations, hearings, delays, trauma and therapy. A (f***ing) lot of therapy.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when I finally got my chance to take the stand and tell my story to the Magistrate, I\u2019d never felt so empowered in my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the process, given the conviction rates, I find it hard to fathom this day has come. I\u2019m so incredibly relieved I can move on. But unfortunately, I\u2019m one of the lucky ones, this legal system makes it hard for people to speak up.<\/p>\n
\u201c4 years to get a result, something has to change. Believe survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018I RECALL TIM INVITED ME TO LAY ON THE BED\u2019 <\/b><\/p>\n
The question to be pondered today is would Williams have been a victim at all if Cricket Australia had acted more appropriately with the Abu Dhabi claims and more thoroughly investigated them?<\/p>\n
These incidents involving the young employees seem to share unnervingly similar patterns, albeit with a very different outcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt approximately 10.30pm Tim arrived at the (Abu Dhabi) restaurant alone and joined us. He offered to buy a beer for me, which I accepted. Tim ordered two beers and two shots of vodka for both he and I,\u201d the young employee said in his statement on the 2018 incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next hour I drank another three shots of vodka and an unknown quantity of beer, all of which was purchased by Tim.<\/p>\n
\u201cTim didn\u2019t only buy drinks for me, he also offered drinks to others at the table.<\/p>\n
\u201c(After the others left, leaving Tim and I at the table by ourselves) Tim left the table but returned shortly after with another shot of alcohol each for both us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst at the Cho Gao Restaurant Tim leaned over and touched me on the penis over my shorts. It was like a grabbing motion. Tim was laughing when he did this, and I squirmed around trying to negate Tim touching my penis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a confrontational person and did not confront Tim about grabbing my penis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was unsure at the time what to believe about Tim touching me on the penis and could not think of a rational reason for him doing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt no time did I give Tim Whittaker permission to touch me on the penis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot recall the amount of alcohol I had consumed. We remained at the restaurant together until it closed around 2.00am at which time, we walked to Belgian Beer Caf\u00e9 however it was closed. We both walked together to Tim\u2019s room where I sat in a chair in the room and Tim called room service to order two more shots of tequila.<\/p>\n
\u201cI recall Tim invited me to lay on the bed. I laid on the bed briefly however I got an urge to leave and I \u2018high-tailed it out of there.\u2019 I had felt a little uncomfortable and that it was strange being in the bed with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The young employee says he is \u201cnot a confrontational person\u201d, yet still made the brave call to report the matter to Cricket Australia, motivated \u201cto prevent another employee feeling like they were taken advantage of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if CA were justified in deeming the incident in Abu Dhabi was not a sackable offence, it did declare his drinking, buying of drinks and general behaviour around younger co-workers was completely inappropriate.<\/p>\n
On that level, what did CA do to stop this behaviour?<\/p>\n
During the Australia versus Sri Lanka Test match in Canberra in early February 2019, Whittaker didn\u2019t turn up at the ground until the afternoon the next day after a late night out with colleagues, although he claimed this was due to food poisoning.<\/p>\n
Whittaker\u2019s defence team told the Court on Thursday that Whittaker has recognised he had issues with alcohol abuse and has taken steps to address them.<\/p>\n
An email sent by a CA executive to all staff a couple of days prior to the Sri Lanka Test in Canberra on January 31 advising that Whittaker had won a job at the ICC, and praising him for \u201calways keeping a watchful eye on the health and wellbeing of his colleagues\u201d did not age well.<\/p>\n
\u201cTim\u2019s passion for his role and deep belief in what cricket represents and its value to Australia is evident in all that he does and we wish him the very best in his next challenge at the ICC,\u201d the email read.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to farewelling Tim appropriately before he finishes up with us on Friday 15 March.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sadly, there was nothing appropriate about the farewell.<\/p>\n
\u2018GREATLY DISTURBED\u2019: CA INSISTS ITS CULTURE HAS CHANGED <\/b><\/p>\n
Under the leadership of current chief executive Nick Hockley (who was not at CA at the time of these incidents) multiple current employees of Cricket Australia told the masthead the organisation\u2019s culture has shifted markedly from these regrettable days.<\/p>\n
Cricket Australia has offered strong support for all three men from the 2016, 2018 and 2019 incidents throughout the drawn out court process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not only greatly disturbed that these crimes were committed by a former CA employee, but also the details of the case, including that one of the offences occurred after a staff function,\u201d CA said in a statement to this masthead.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an organisation, we continually strive to create a safe, harmonious and productive workplace for all our employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are extremely confident that our current workplace culture, including regular training, the respect our staff have for each other and the expectations outlined in our Respect@Work policies, fully addresses this requirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Reuben Williams put it in his brave statement: \u201cBelieve survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On October 29, 2018, Cricket Australia handed down the findings of its own cultural review which found the organisation to be \u201carrogant and controlling.\u201d It was meant to be a line in the sand moment for Australia\u2019s most powerful sport. An acknowledgment of previous errors, an acceptance that they needed to change and a way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[1859,19592,19558,19545,1800,19563,1641,83,1736,7646,5088,19579,2665,19564,19562,9066,19549,19600,19580,19588,19596,19587,19261,19573,19575,19595,19547,1425,19565,19590,19572,19566,19581,19554,19570,19557,19556,19601,19591,862,14072,9568,1533,1809,1728,19576,19560,9083,19559,19568,19586,19584,19583,19577,19571,19569,19582,5969,19594,19561,19553,19598,19546,7615,2390,89,19551,8312,19599,19589,19550,10445,19578,19555,1792,19548,19567,1465,7633,1847,19597,19574,19585,19593,19552],"class_list":{"0":"post-37483","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-abu-dhabi","9":"tag-abu-dhabi-hotel","10":"tag-alcohol-issues","11":"tag-alcohol-fuelled-staff","12":"tag-america","13":"tag-annual-end","14":"tag-asia","15":"tag-australia","16":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","17":"tag-australian-capital-territory","18":"tag-australian-cricket","19":"tag-australian-football-league-news","20":"tag-ben-horne","21":"tag-brave-call","22":"tag-brave-statement","23":"tag-canberra","24":"tag-communications-manager","25":"tag-confrontational-person","26":"tag-conviction-rates","27":"tag-corresponding-end","28":"tag-court-process","29":"tag-criminal-charges","30":"tag-cultural-review","31":"tag-cultural-review-findings","32":"tag-dubai","33":"tag-excessive-alcohol-purchasing","34":"tag-formal-apology","35":"tag-getty-images-inc","36":"tag-grabbing-motion","37":"tag-hero-worship","38":"tag-hero-worship-rhetoric","39":"tag-in-house-investigation","40":"tag-inescapable-question","41":"tag-infamous-cultural-review","42":"tag-james-sutherland","43":"tag-junior-staffer","44":"tag-kevin-roberts","45":"tag-legal-system","46":"tag-male-colleague","47":"tag-melbourne","48":"tag-multiple-witnesses","49":"tag-nick-hockley","50":"tag-north-america","51":"tag-northern-america","52":"tag-oceania","53":"tag-offered-drinks","54":"tag-organisation-fail","55":"tag-phone-calls","56":"tag-police-interview","57":"tag-power-imbalance","58":"tag-predatory-behaviour","59":"tag-rational-reason","60":"tag-raucous-night","61":"tag-regular-training","62":"tag-reuben-williams","63":"tag-richmond","64":"tag-room-service","65":"tag-rousing-speech","66":"tag-security-manager","67":"tag-sexual-assault","68":"tag-sexual-assaults","69":"tag-sleeping-young-employee","70":"tag-soul-searching","71":"tag-south-melbourne","72":"tag-southern-asia","73":"tag-sri-lanka","74":"tag-staff-function","75":"tag-staff-members","76":"tag-staff-party","77":"tag-staffer-claims","78":"tag-strange-being","79":"tag-td_colorschemedark","80":"tag-tim-whittaker","81":"tag-undisclosed-incident","82":"tag-united-states-of-america","83":"tag-unprofessional-behaviour","84":"tag-unprompted-call","85":"tag-victoria","86":"tag-virginia","87":"tag-western-asia","88":"tag-window-dressing-sham","89":"tag-workplace-culture","90":"tag-young-employee","91":"tag-young-man","92":"tag-young-staffer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}