Melbourne Mayor Resigns After Character Reference for Child Sex Offender
Preet Singh steps down as Wyndham City mayor, accusing Victorian MPs of hypocrisy in his parting statement.
Quick Look
- Preet Singh resigned as mayor of Wyndham City after months of public and political pressure for providing a character reference for convicted child sex offender Kashyap Patel.
- Singh admitted poor judgment but accused Victorian MPs of hypocrisy, citing a colleague's similar actions.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Preet Singh, mayor of Wyndham City, faced months of pressure and a vote of no confidence after providing a character reference for Kashyap Patel, who was convicted of grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
A mayor in Melbourne's south-west suburbs has stood down after facing months of pressure over his decision to give a character reference for a child sex offender.
Preet Singh announced his resignation as mayor of the Wyndham City but fired a parting shot at Victorian state government MPs who he accused of hypocrisy.
In a recorded statement posted to social media, Cr Singh admitted he was wrong to provide the character reference for Kashyap Patel, who in 2024 was convicted of grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
"None of us gets every decision right. Leadership is also about accepting responsibility when we don't," Cr Singh said.
"When I provided a character reference that has since become the subject of public scrutiny, I was not aware of the full circumstances of the case and was led to believe the person had not behaved as the charges suggested.
Mr Singh faced months of pressure to stand down from the role, including a vote of no confidence passed by the council in April.
He stood aside on April 1 when news of his character reference was revealed, but returned to work three weeks later.
Werribee residents organised several protests calling for his resignation and the Victorian government appointed an monitor to "restore stability in the leadership and ensure good governance" at Wyndham council.
Labor MP Joanne Ryan in May told federal parliament that Cr Singh should resign.
"His initial grievous lack of judgement is now compounded by his incapacity to understand the message his reference sends to our community about sickening, sustained criminal behaviour being trivialised," she said at the time.
Cr Singh conceded he had shown "poor judgement" but claimed the response was out of proportion.
"Whether poor judgement should result in months of relentless abuse, intimidation, threats and harassment directed not only at me, but also at my family, is something I will leave for others to reflect upon," he said.
He also made reference to Victorian Labor MP Luba Grigorovitch, who recently apologised for writing dozens of controversial character references including for a taxi driver convicted of assaulting female passengers.
"The MPs who were quite vocal about my situation were notably silent regarding their own colleague," Mr Singh said.
Mr Singh said he would remain in his role as councillor for the City of Wyndham.
Open Questions
- What will be the long-term impact on Wyndham City Council's governance?
- Will there be further action regarding Luba Grigorovitch's character references?
- How will Singh's remaining tenure as councillor be affected?
