The chief of staff to former Liberal party MP Craig Kelly has told a court he hugged and kissed young female staff in the electorate office because he was “trying to make it a family environment”.
Francesco “Frank” Zumbo, 56, has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges, including sexual touching and indecent assault, related to accusations made by five women between 2014 and 2020.
The long-running trial, which began in June last year, has heard evidence from several female staff who alleged Zumbo groped them, sexually assaulted them and demanded displays of affection. The court has also heard several hours of covertly recorded conversations between Zumbo and the women.
Zumbo has previously said that he regularly hugged and kissed the female staff, who he referred to as “sisters”, because of his Italian heritage and that because it was his normal way of greeting people.
Under cross examination for a second day, Zumbo was asked about his interactions with an intern who began in the office when she was 14, after Zumbo offered her a job at a school function.
She stopped working in Kelly’s office when she was 17. She has alleged that on her second last day, Zumbo ran his hand up her leg to her thigh and kissed her on the cheek while she was alone with him in a meeting in Kelly’s office.
She has also alleged Zumbo approached her while she was seated at a desk,kissing her on the back of her head and running his hand over her back.
Zumbo initially denied both the kiss and the touching. Under cross-examination on Tuesday he conceded he had kissed her on the top of the head as she left the meeting in Kelly’s office “because she was just so sad”.
Zumbo said he had just told her there was no more work for her phone canvassing because “the world had gone mad during Covid”, and there was “hostility” toward Kelly (a prominent vaccine skeptic).
Several young women have given evidence that Zumbo would rub himself against them, ask them out and berate them when they complained about his physical approaches. In one case, a woman alleged he unzipped his pants and took out his penis while talking to her late at night in a park. Zumbo denies this incident took place.
Zumbo told the court that in the case of the then 14-year-old he had confined himself to “fist bumps” and “side hugs” with her.
He only fully embraced and kissed young women over 18 because he considered that they were adults and could consent.
Zumbo was then directed to a transcript of a telephone intercept of a phone call he had with the 17-year-old about two weeks after she left.
The young woman was recorded referring to the alleged kiss in the call and said: “I don’t know many people that get hugged by their bosses, get kissed by their bosses.”
She also referred to telling him previously she did not like to be hugged.
“At this point in time you were in your late 40s and she was 17, you were her supervisor, but you gave her a spontaneous hug?” prosecutor Shaun Croner asked.
“I was a friend,” Zumbo said. “This age discrimination I faced … This inference that I treated them like this because I was an older guy – I treated them as equals,” he said.
Zumbo also denied that he had hugged and kissed another young woman over 18 on the lips without her consent. He denied telling her he loved her during an incident that she says took place in the office.
Zumbo told the court the woman, who was a law student, had become increasingly reliant on him to help her with her essays, and that he had ultimately hoped to help her into politics.
But he said he had “serious concerns” that she would make false allegations against him of inappropriate behaviour.
This was ultimately what had happened, he said.
“I thought they were ganging up on me. The red flags increased. The office was a mess, it was very toxic,” he said.
The woman made a number of recordings on her phone of her interactions with Zumbo.
In one that took place seven months after Zumbo said he became concerned about false allegations, he was recorded as saying: “Pray for the day we can be closer. I want to get closer to you. I just want a bit of you in my heart and I hope for a little bit of Frank in your heart.”
“Wasn’t this a declaration of love?” the prosecutor asked.
“This is all buttressed and bookended by Christian values,” Zumbo replied.
The prosecution and defence agreed to make final submissions in writing. Magistrate Gareth Christofi said he intended to return his verdict in late October.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
