22 AUGUST 2025

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Tribunal finally casts judgement on Dr Jereth Kok.

Heather Saxena A GP who has spent almost six years suspended under emergency powers has been found guilty of professional misconduct over 54 online posts.

Almost a year after hearing the case, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has found that Dr Jereth Kok had denigrated the LGBTQI + community by suggesting that homosexuality was a medical disorder.

It said that Dr Kok had“ expressed sentiments of violence” towards racial groups and that some of his posts about COVID-19“ contained misleading information”, including by claiming that corners were cut in vaccine development.

Of 85 posts published on Facebook and a Christian news blog, the tribunal said that the Medical Board of Australia had failed to prove its allegations regarding 31 posts, including some posts that the tribunal said were political or religious commentary.

A hearing on sanctions is expected next year.

But Dr Kok’ s lawyers, whose firm was set up by the Australian Christian Lobby, say they are considering filing an appeal to the Supreme

Court of Victoria. Dr Kok admitted 11 of his posts were unprofessional and disrespectful of his peers, including posts suggesting abortion doctors were“ murderers” and“ butchers” or that

‘ Even if the post was intended to be satirical, it was derogatory and offensive to racial groups.’

doctors who treated gender dysphoria were“ crooks”.

But Dr Kok, who has a diploma of divinity from a Melbourne theological college, defended other posts as satire or sarcasm to communicate political or religious views.

The tribunal accepted that many posts had been intended as satire, but said they were still offensive.

For example, Dr Kok had argued he was using satire when he responded to an article about Western aid funding abortions and contraception.

“ Soon, our civilisations will be vanquished, and our earth will be overrun by black people. The solution is clear; we must take family planning to poor countries and exterminate them before it is too late,” his post said.

The tribunal said that“ even if the post was intended by Dr Kok to be

satirical, it was derogatory and offensive to racial groups”.

The tribunal rejected Dr Kok’ s argument that his speech could not be regulated under the National Law because it was protected under common law on freedom of speech and Victoria’ s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006.

In another post, Dr Kok had written:“ Homosexual orientation( involuntary attraction to the same sex) is a disorder but is not a sin in and of itself. Homosexual orientation may be addressed with therapy.”

The tribunal rejected Dr Kok’ s argument that he meant‘ disorder’ to mean a departure from God’ s plan, rather than a medical disorder.

The tribunal said that PAGE 3

Rachel Carter THE NT Chief Minister has lashed out at 45 paediatricians she accused of“ wasting their time” after they warned of the risks of child asphyxiation resulting from her plan to reintroduce spit hoods in youth detention.

In a letter sent last month, the doctors said spit hoods, banned nearly 10 years ago following the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT, could lead to death or permanent disability.

Spit hood use had been likened to torture and defined as such by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, it said.

“[ It has also ] been implicated in prisoner deaths interstate.

“ Children in detention in the NT have a high burden of medical comorbidities, including the highest rates of rheumatic heart disease in the world and chronic lung

disease, placing them at greater risk of harm.

“ Spit hood use will also result in psychological harm amounting to child abuse, which will have significant acute and long-term mental health effects on children who already have very high rates of psychiatric and cognitive disabilities.”

In response, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said:“ I have firsthand experience, as a Territory mother, of how difficult it is to get your sick child to see a paediatrician or to have regular meetings with one.”

She told the NT Parliament:“ My advice to … the 45 paediatricians who wasted their time writing to me is that you should spend more time supporting Territory children because that is your job.

“ I will do my job, which is to run the NT. They can do their job, which is to look after sick children.

“ I have to regularly look mothers in the eye who, like me, cannot get in to see one.” PAGE 5

My advice to the 45 paediatricians who wasted their time writing to me is that you should spend more time supporting Territory children because that’ s your job.

— NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro