Families Outraged as Charges Dropped in Hotel Quarantine Case
Families who lost loved ones during Victoria's deadly second wave of COVID-19 are expressing outrage after prosecutors dropped dozens of charges against the state government over its ill-fated hotel quarantine program.
John Atzarakis, who lost his mother Fotini to the virus in July 2020, is struggling to comprehend the lack of accountability. His mother contracted COVID-19 during a respite stay at St Basil's aged care facility, ultimately succumbing to the disease.
"I was really shocked and disgusted," Mr. Atzarakis said. "Accountability has been parked and shelved, due to loopholes."
The charges stemmed from infection control breaches at the government's hotel quarantine program, which was identified as the source of the devastating second wave. WorkSafe had alleged that the government failed to provide a safe working environment for its employees and endangered the public.
However, the case collapsed after a pre-trial ruling by the County Court of Victoria deemed the evidence of 10 key witnesses inadmissible. These witnesses, all agents or employees of the health department, had previously provided statements to an inquiry into the hotel quarantine program. Laws restricting the use of such information in criminal proceedings led to the court's decision.
Prosecutors ultimately concluded that challenging the ruling and securing a conviction without the evidence was not feasible. Consequently, the prosecution was discontinued.
The decision has been met with disappointment and anger from families like the Atzarakis, who believe someone should be held accountable for the tragic consequences of the government's failures.
"What Victorians want is somebody fairly and reasonably to be held responsible," said Opposition Leader John Pesutto. "Somebody has to be held accountable somewhere, and it just seems with this government no one is held accountable for anything."
Premier Jacinta Allan, however, defended the government's position, noting that the decision to drop the charges was made independently by prosecutors. She also criticized the opposition's stance, highlighting their calls for relaxed COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic's peak.
The families of victims, however, remain resolute in their demand for accountability. They believe that the government's failures must be addressed to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.