Illawarra Aboriginal activist Roy ‘‘Dootch’’ Kennedy has been ordered to stand trial in the NSW District Court on multiple child sex abuse charges.
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The Sandon Point Tent Embassy founder hovered quietly at the front of the public gallery as his lawyer, Michael Powell, addressed Port Kembla Local Court on Wednesday, telling the magistrate, Michael Stoddart, that his client would waive his right to test the evidence against him in a local court committal hearing and instead proceed directly to a district court trial.
Kennedy is facing 15 child abuse charges, including seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of a person under the age of 16 years and three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
A further eight similar charges have been withdrawn by prosecutors.
He is accused of repeatedly raping and assaulting the girl between 1991 and 1999, when she was aged 10 to 18.
He was not charged over the alleged incidents until March this year.
Kennedy will face Campbelltown District Court for arraignment in February, when he is expected to enter formal pleas to the charges.
Kennedy stood down as chairman of the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council after the allegations against him surfaced.
His bail has been continued.
