Powerlifting Australia reinstates Chief Executive Robert Wilks after investigation of harassment claims

Powerlifting Australia has reinstated veteran coach and administrator Robert Wilks as its Chief Executive after the sporting body said its investigation of the matter could not substantiate harassment claims against him.

Wilks stood down as the body’s Chief Executive in August 2021 after The Sunday Age revealed that he had taken legal action against an athlete who had made claims he had pressured her into sex.

The organisation’s entire board, apart from Wilks, was replaced in the aftermath, as powerlifters and gyms cancelled accreditation and memberships over the body’s handling of the complaint by 22-year-old athlete Dori Qu.

Powerlifting Australia announced last month that its investigation into the allegations, conducted by a former Victoria Police detective, found they could not be substantiated.

However, the investigation did not involve Qu, who declined to participate in it.

She continues to face the threat of defamation action from Wilks in the Victorian County Court.

Qu, a Chinese international student, had alleged Wilks made sexual advances to her in March 2021 while she was training at Melbourne University Powerlifting and Weightlifting Club, where he was a volunteer coach.

In July, Qu emailed two members of the Powerlifting Australia executive to complain about Wilks’ behaviour.

The complaint was subsequently passed on to Wilks, who filed court documents less than two weeks later.

As reported by The Age, Wilks (pictured) has a history of making defamation claims against his critics.

In a statement posted on Powerlifting Australia’s Facebook page, the board said an investigation conducted by former Victoria Police detective senior sergeant Rowland Legg could not substantiate the allegations against Wilks.

The post advised “the investigator’s conclusions were that the allegations made in the complaint were assessed and found as unable to be substantiated.”

The all-male board said Wilks had been restored to his position as Chief Executive and thanked him for his “outstanding contributions to the sport of powerlifting”.

In response to questions from The Sunday Age, Powerlifting Australia board member Arron Dehlsen said the board stood by the integrity of the investigation, but would not release the findings of its inquiry for confidentiality reasons.

Melbourne University permanently banned Wilks from its campuses in February after barrister Brian Lace conducted a six-month investigation into Qu’s complaint.

While Wilks’ defamation lawyer and Melbourne University have disputed the reasons for the ban, the University subsequently advised it was not because of an unrelated commercial dispute, releasing a statement advising “the University did not exonerate Mr Wilks, and its decision to end its association with him was not made on the grounds of an unrelated commercial dispute. 

“An independent investigation was conducted for the University of Melbourne. Having considered the investigator’s findings, the University determined that Mr Wilks’ conduct, involving amongst other things a sexual relationship with a student in circumstances where there was in the University’s view a significant power imbalance, fell well below the standards expected by the University.

“As a result, the University has permanently excluded Mr Wilks from using all University premises and facilities and from participating in any activities associated with the University.”

Wilks’ defamation action against Dori Qu is understood to be ongoing.