Lidia Thorpe: Alleged attacker Ebony Bell faces court via video link due to ‘recent threats’

A woman has faced court over the alleged assault of independent Senator Lidia Thorpe.

Ebony Bell appeared via video link in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday charged with two counts of recklessly causing injury and three counts of unlawful assault.

Senator Thorpe alleges she was assaulted at a public event earlier in 2024.

Police allege a woman was assaulted outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 25 following the AFL’s annual Dreamtime at the ‘G clash between Essendon and Richmond.

The alleged assault was reported to police the next day before Ms Bell, who was 27 at the time, was arrested on July 25.

MS Bell’s lawyer Emanuele Nicolosi said the case had some “real deficiencies” but revealed an “offer” had been made by the prosecution on Friday.

“I haven’t had enough time to really consider it,” he told the court.

Mr Nicolosi noted his client was a Koori woman and said she wasn’t appearing in person because of “recent threats”.

He argued against Senator Thorpe’s name being released as one of the complainants but Magistrate Belinda Franjic sided with the media as the firebrand senator has already publicly identified herself.

Ms Bell will remain on bail before the case returns to court on November 22.

Police previously described Senator Thorpe’s injuries as “minor” but she says she suffered serious nerve and spinal injuries in her neck.

In a statement, the Victorian senator said the injuries required her to undergo spinal surgery and have a plate inserted, resulting in a scar on the front of her neck.

“I was ordered by the doctor not to travel and could not attend parliament after I sustained the injury and during recovery from surgery,” she said.

“My doctor told me to take time off work.”

Senator Thorpe defended missing 51 of the 138 Senate sitting days this parliamentary term, saying she did not take her position as an independent senator lightly.

“When I haven’t been present in parliament, I have still been engaged with and following the legislative agenda, and ensuring that my voting positions are reflected in the vote outcome through pairing arrangements,” she said.

Senator Thorpe made international headlines after calling out King Charles during a reception in Parliament House in Canberra.

The Indigenous senator rejected coalition calls for her to resign from the upper house and confirmed she swore an oath of allegiance to the late Queen’s “hairs” rather than her heirs, when taking her seat in 2022.

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