Pratik Bhattarai: Perth childcare worker accused of indecently touching three-year-old girl goes on trial

A childcare worker accused of indecently touching a three-year-old girl as other children played nearby firmly denies the offence, his barrister says. The District Court of WA trial of Pratik Bhattarai began on Monday, with prosecutor Hannah Pike telling the jury that the 24-year-old committed the crime at a northern suburbs centre on April 5, 2023. Ms Pike said that after lunch, the youngsters were in the playground when Mr Bhattarai - the centre’s lead educator - put on music and they danced, wearing Easter bunny crowns they had created that morning. At some point, Mr Bhattarai indecently touched the alleged victim as she sat on the grass and he sat on a nearby bench, the prosecutor said, adding that he then tied up her hair. That night, the girl complained to her parents and police became involved. Ms Pike said other educators were supervising play time but there were no “direct” eye witnesses and the case relied “almost entirely on the child’s evidence”. There were no laws saying corroborating evidence was necessary to convict an accused, she said, telling the jury that if they accepted the fundamental aspects of the girl’s evidence, they would have no difficulty finding Mr Bhattarai guilty. Defence counsel David Robinson said his client firmly denied the accusation. “He completely denies whatsoever having been involved in any sexual touching,” the barrister said. “He will say ‘I never ever touched her in a sexual way’.” Mr Robinson urged the jury to consider if it was the kind of venue where an offender had an opportunity to commit such a crime, which the community “appropriately loathes”. “Approach this matter as if it was a loved one sitting in the dock . . . facing a very serious charge,” the barrister said. The jury was played two 35 minute videos of the child being gently questioned by a special police interviewer two days after the alleged incident and later by judicial officers when she had turned five, confidently answering their questions. However, she did not speak, her eyes downcast, when Mr Robinson suggested her version of events was not true. The girl’s mother then testified, saying she was “shocked and taken aback” when her daughter tearfully first alleged what had occurred. The mum said she calmed her daughter and told her to play, going through the family’s nightly routine before bringing milk and a book to her bedroom. Again asked what happened, the child repeated the claims. “She said it quite matter-of-fact,” the mother said. “She was calm when she said it. She stated it.” The trial, before Judge Alan Sefton, is set down for seven days.