Charges dropped against country doctor accused of indecent assault
Charges of indecent and unlawful assault against obstetrician John Mateljan, 74, were discontinued, with the doctor awarded $45,000 in court costs.
Geraldton obstetrician John George Mateljan has had charges of unlawful and indecent assault dropped against him. The Geraldton Magistrates Court determined there was no reasonable chance of conviction on any of the charges. Dr. Mateljan was granted $45,000 in court costs. Allegations were made in August 2025, claiming the 74-year-old indecently assaulted three women during medical consultations or while working with them in hospital settings.
Dr. Matljan vehemently denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. However, prosecutors announced on Monday, a week before his trial was set to begin, that there were no reasonable chances of conviction, leading to the charges being discontinued. Despite the charges being dropped, Dr. Mateljan is still bound by several restrictions set by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA).
He is prohibited from direct contact with patients, except through telehealth consultations, and is limited to practising at Geraldton's Victoria District Medical Centre. These restrictions will persist unless lifted by the APHRA board or successfully appealed by Dr. Mateljan.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
