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Former neighbor and home and away actor Craig McLachlan has been cleared of all charges after being tried for indecent assault and collective harm.
He has been accused of perpetrating the on-stage attacks against his peers in 2019 during a run of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but Magistrate Belinda Wallington dismissed all 13 charges.
The case comprised four complaints and Wallington said they were « courageous and honest witnesses » but their testimony « does not unequivocally prove McLachlan’s guilt. ‘
One of the allegations was that McLachlan tickled a woman’s thigh from behind during a live performance on stage.
Melbourne Magistrates Court was told that McLachlan played a prank on the cast to make them laugh. Wallington said the actor seemed to have found it funny touching his co-star in this way.
But she couldn’t rule out that a « selfish, self-legitimate sense of humor led the accused to truly believe that (the woman) consented to his actions ». .
McLachlan was also accused of dragging his finger over the outline of a co-star’s vagina while they were staging a bedroom scene, which was not an action in the script.
In court it was found that McLachlan stopped touching the woman when he realized she did not consent.
In a statement, McLachlan said: « We’re not going to talk in detail today. We will certainly do this in the immediate New Year. As you can imagine, we have a lot to say. ‘
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Craig McLachlan, Vanessa Scammell, neighbors
World news – AU – Neighbors and home and away stars freed from indecent attacks
Ref: https://metro.co.uk
