Our top Melbourne criminal defence lawyers recently acted in a complex Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) matter involving two doctors working within the Victorian public hospital system.
Our client (OC) and the Affected family member (AFM) had previously been on 3 dates. On the 3rd date, the AFM accused OC of sexual assault when he forgot to wear protection during what was otherwise consensual intercourse.
More than a year after the incident, the Victoria Police Informant applied for an interim FVIO on behalf of the AFM. The interim intervention order conditions sought would have prohibited our client from attending within 200 metres of the AFM’s workplace, placing his medical career, hospital rotations, and ongoing employment as an emergency doctor at serious risk.
Importantly, our client had no intention of contacting the AFM and had actively avoided interaction whenever they crossed paths professionally.
At court, George Balot made detailed submissions that there was no ongoing risk of future family violence, no basis for a final FVIO, and that a final intervention order would unfairly jeopardise our client’s career and potentially remove a doctor from the emergency healthcare system.
The matter was successfully resolved by way of a co-signed undertaking, allowing our client to continue his medical career and move forward without a final FVIO overshadowing him.