Newcastle surf club stalwart groped local female surgeon while posing for a group photo – before volunteering to become the club’s ‘complaints officer’
A senior Newcastle lifesaver and former police detective has pleaded guilty to sexually touching a local surgeon at a community event in the NSW Hunter Valley last year. Scott Cook, 57, known as "Cookie", had been honoured for long service to Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club and held roles including treasurer and lifesaving award assessor. The case is notable because Cook reportedly put himself forward to become the club's complaints officer around the time the victim first reported him to police, and his conduct had previously escaped public scrutiny.
During a group photo at the function, the surgeon felt Cook grope her buttock and perineal region, squeezing firmly for two to three seconds before letting go when she turned. She described feeling shocked, disgusted and violated, and said she had not spoken to Cook at all that evening. About a month later, on learning he had nominated himself as the club's complaints officer, she made a formal complaint to the club and reported the assault to NSW Police. Cook has been barred from the club and banned from approaching the doctor's home or workplace since November, and entered his guilty plea to sexually touching another person on Tuesday.
- Newcastle lifesaving stalwart Scott Cook pleaded guilty to groping a surgeon
- Assault happened during a group photo at a lifesaving function last year
- He later sought the club's complaints officer role, prompting her to report him
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Cook, 57, is a well-known figure in Newcastle's surf lifesaving community, having given long service to the Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club and held positions including treasurer and lifesaving award assessor. He is also a former police detective. The case concerns an incident at a community function in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, where he touched a local surgeon inappropriately while a group photo was being taken.
The woman involved reported the assault to police and made a formal complaint to the club roughly a month later, after learning that Cook had put himself forward to become the club's complaints officer, the very role that would handle grievances of this kind. Cook has since been barred from the club and subject to conditions preventing him from approaching her home or workplace.
The case has drawn attention partly because of the seniority and trust associated with Cook's roles within the club, and because of the apparent conflict in a man accused of assault later seeking to take charge of handling complaints. He has pleaded guilty to a charge of sexually touching another person.