Charges dropped against country doctor accused of indecent assault

Charges have been dropped against a country doctor alleged to have indecently assaulted patients and colleagues in regional Western Australia. Detectives charged Geraldton doctor John George Mateljan in August 2025, alleging the 74-year-old indecently assaulted three women during medical consultations or while working alongside them in hospital settings. At the time he told the ABC he "vehemently" denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors told the Geraldton Magistrate's Court on Monday, a week before Dr Mateljan's trial was due to begin, there were no reasonable prospects for conviction and discontinued the charges. Magistrate Melita Medcalf awarded Dr Mateljan $45,000 in court costs and removed his bail conditions before declaring the matter concluded. He remains subject to a number of restrictions set by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA), including a ban on direct contact with patients identifying as women, girls or non-binary except for telehealth consultations. The conditions also restrict his practise to Geraldton's Victoria District Medical Centre. Those restrictions will remain in place unless removed by the APHRA board or successfully appealed by Dr Mateljan.