Koori court elder and footy umpire faces child sex abuse charges
A Koori court elder and children’s football umpire who recently received a state volunteering award for his service to sport will face court after being charged with historical child sex offences.
Detectives from Warrnambool’s Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team arrested and charged 69-year-old Robert “Locky” Eccles with 13 offences on Monday relating to allegations he engaged in indecent acts with a teenager under his supervision or authority in the mid-2000s.
Warrnambool football umpire “Locky” Eccles in 2009.Credit:Damian White
Eccles, a highly regarded football umpire and Indigenous elder in the state’s south-west, recently appeared on the front page of his town’s local newspaper after being awarded a Victorian Senior of the Year 2021 volunteer award for intergenerational leadership and a passion for sport.
The Gunditjmara elder – who carries the respected Indigenous honorific “Uncle” – has also sat on Warrnambool’s Koori court division for more than six years and previously worked as an Indigenous language eductor.
It’s alleged Eccles’ criminal offending took place during his time as a football umpire with the Warrnambool and District Football Umpires Association, between February 2006 and December 2008.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the 69-year-old Warrnambool man had been charged with “six counts each of indecent act with a child aged 16 years under care supervision/authority and indecent act with a child aged 16 or 17 years under care supervision/authority”.
“He has also been charged with one count of indecent assault,” the spokeswoman said.
Lawyers for Eccles’ alleged victim told The Age an initial complaint was made to police earlier this year alleging he offended against their client during multiple local football seasons.
Kim Price, who leads Arnold Thomas and Becker’s abuse team, said their client would also now seek compensation from the Warrnambool and District Football Umpires Association which they say failed to protect the boy during his time participating in their programs.
The WDFUA games record shows Eccles has performed field umpire duties for more than 1000 games.
“We allege that the association did not do enough to protect this aspiring young person from sexual abuse,” Price said. “The association owed the duty of care to our client and it has breached this duty.”
Neither Eccles nor the umpire’s association could not be contacted on Friday.
Court Services Victoria were also contacted for comment.
Eccles, who was released on bail, is due to face Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court in January.
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