Former commissioner makes sexual assault accusation

The former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people commissioner to the ACT says she was sexually assaulted by a public servant whilst in the role and has reported the person to the police.

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts has accused the unnamed person in Canberra of harassment and sexual assault, saying she resigned from her role because of her “physical and psychological safety”.

Ms Turnbull-Roberts was appointed the ACT’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people commissioner in 2024.

Investigation underway

But two years into her five-year term, she quit, late last year.

“This experience has impacted me in ways too shattering for language to fully hold,” Ms Turnbull-Roberts said in a statement.

She said she had made reports to police, “and these matters are now with the relevant authorities”.

The ACT’s Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Suzanne Orr reported earlier this month that Ms Turnbull-Roberts “resigned for personal reasons”.