Maggie Kirkpatrick speaks to media outside court in 2015. Photo / Channel 9
Maggie Kirkpatrick speaks to media outside court in 2015. Photo / Channel 9
Iconic Australian actress Maggie Kirkpatrick has exposed the unique mental anguish of being wrongly convicted of sexual assault.
Kirkpatrick, now 78, was accused by a teenage fan of sexual assault dating back to the 1980s. She was convicted in 2015, and cleared on appeal six months later.
Speaking to Australia's A Current Affair, the celebrated screen and theatre actress — best known for her villainous role as sadistic guard Joan "The Freak" Ferguson on Prisoner — touched on the darkest points of the ordeal, which she describes as no less than a "nightmare".
"To be confronted with such a phone call, and such an accusation," she said. "Well, the bottom just fell out of my world."
Kirkpatrick first learnt she was facing sexual assault allegations on New Year's Eve in 2013.
"The person was in a facility at the time, and I had on many occasions visited fans in Sydney."
During the home visit, Kirkpatrick recalled that on finding that the girl had snuck into her alcohol cabinet, she promptly sent her back to the facility in a taxi.
"I complied with what was asked of me, and expected that to be the end of it," Kirkpatrick said tonight of her dealings with police following the 2013 call.
But the star was later charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency with a person under the age of 16 by Victoria Police's Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.
Kirkpatrick was convicted in July 2015 and subsequently sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order, including 100 hours of community service.
She successfully appealed the case in December that year, with Judge Geoffrey Chettle finding that there was reasonable doubt surrounding the circumstances and dismissing the conviction and charges.
"It was my worst nightmare, that's all I can say," Kirkpatrick told A Current Affair, revealing she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the trial and media scrutiny.
Maggie Kirkpatrick as Joan "The Freak" Ferguson on Prisoner. Photo: / Channel 9
The media storm Kirkpatrick was caught in, she believes, was aided by her realistic portrayal as Joan Ferguson "The Freak", with clips and stills of her intimidating performance constantly played out during coverage of the trial. This is a struggle she details in her book The Gloves are Off.
"The trashy reports, it was constantly 'Joan Ferguson'," she said. "No respect at all, but I guess that's the way things are. Guilty until proven innocent."
Kirkpatrick strongly maintained her innocence during the trial, vigorously denying the allegations and telling The Herald Sun in 2015: "I need to go to court to have this ridiculous situation quashed. Allegations have been levelled at me, yes. Are they true? Absolutely not."
