Sydney Lawyer Steven Mercael charged with sexual assault
Lawyer for sexual harassment is not suppressed on behalf for 20 years.
After the media organizations successfully battled an effort to secrecy their identity, a criminal lawyer suspected of being sexually attacking a woman lawyer in Western Sydney can now be found.
Steven Mercael, 27 years old, reportedly grabbed the woman by her throat, knocked her over her face and legs repeatedly during the supposed attack on the woman at the very beginning of December, last year.
In June he was arrested for aggravated sexual assault which caused real physical harm. The accusation has not been pleaded.
"He is not guilty, and in due course this is going to be defended at court," Goold said.
Mr Mercael and the woman were reportedly using vodka and snoring cocaine until Mr Mercael started to make progress, including mistakes.
The later woman told the police she couldn't leave.
Mr Mercael then reportedly coerced her into a sex act, called her names and became increasingly aggressive, the more she refused. The woman said to Mr Mercael, "please stop, let me go" but he replied, "just enjoy it"
Immediately after the incident, the woman called a friend and came to the police.
The case was first referred to before the Court on 29 July and Mr Mercael allowed his name to be temporarily silenced.
In September, the repression of Mr Michael Burke argued that the risk of "revisited" the order could continue for 20 years, if Mr Mercael is found guilty.
"An important context to this matter is the presumption of innocence," said Mr. Burke.
He believed the suppression should be allowed for a variety of reasons, including that Mr Mercael should face a court every day to protect his customers, and that Mr Mercael and his loved ones will face possible trouble and humiliation should the allegation be written.
Magistrate Tim Keady denied the suppression to proceed.
He pointed out that Mr Mercael plans to report the charges to clients, suggesting that clients "entitled to know about the criminal proceedings so they can make an informed choice of legal representative"
"In view of this the public interest to know about these criminal proceedings is so significant that it outweighs Mr Mercael's private concerns," Mr Keady said.
The ruling in the Supreme Court was challenged by Mr. Mercael, not calling for an abolition of 20 years, but for a time frame agreed on by the Court.
Judge Richard Cavanagh refuses the appeal on Thursday and lifts the identity of Mr Mercael.
At a Local Court hearing Barrister Matthew Lewis, who had appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph, said that any person present at the court, whether a solicitor, a barrister or a judge, must be open to inspection.
In certain exceptional cases, like when plaintiffs receive death threats, he said the courts have permitted suppression, but we're a far cry from that in this case"
The suspected survivor of Mr Mercael even wrote the court a letter protesting the remove order, but it was not awarded because it opened it up for cross-examination.
In a variety of highly profiled cases, Mr Mercael came to the attention of the media.
An additional hearing of the Supreme Court was scheduled to take place on 23 December with a view to clarifying the contents of a verdict.
Next February 4th Mr Mercael will face the Local Court of the Downing Center.