2004-2006: Religious vilification complaint by 'OTO'

Another complaint was lodged under Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act in late 2004. The complaint was lodged with the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission by the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), an occult group founded in the early 20th century.

The complaint
The complaint was made against Dr Reina Michaelson for an article alleged to have been written by her that mentioned child abuse practices and the Ordo Templi Orientis. The article was posted on a website over which she had no control and without her permission

Reina is a Christian psychologist who is campaigning against child sexual abuse and its investigation by the police. She started and ran a group called CSAPP - child sexual abuse prevention program.

A second complaint was made by the OTO presenting a different scenario and complaint in early 2005. This complaint was not forwarded to Dr Michaelson for her response.

The EOC closed the complaint as they did not consider it was able to be conciliated.

Complaint went to VCAT
The group, the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) then asked that the complaint be referred to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for a hearing.

The first Directions hearing about the complaint (to set dates and times for statements and a hearing) was initially scheduled for Monday 6 June 2005. Dr Michaelson asked for this to be adjourned since she is currently working in The Maldives with UNICEF assisting with post-tsunami relief operations. VCAT adjourned the initial hearing until 25 July 2005.

The OTO also made a complaint against a NSW couple and their organisation Gaia Guys, who have lodged the article and other material about the OTO on their website, which is located on an overseas server (ISP). Click here for more info on that case.

Once the case was lodged at VCAT in 2005, the file was open to the public. A Herald Sun journalist wrote an article in the newspaper about this complaint.
Child rights crusader faces lawsuit
Herald Sun , Kate Uebergang, tribunal reporter, 31 May 2005.

The case went to mediation at VCAT which was unsuccessful. It was agreed that the case against Dr Michaelson be heard separately to the case against the Gaia Guys.

Hearing at VCAT
The case eventually went to a hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in December 2006.
After a five day hearing the case was settled.
A statement was agreed on by the two parties.

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About the OTO
The Ordo Templi Orientis was started around 1902. It was initially founded by Austrian Carl Kellner and Theodore Reuss and was based on Freemasonry, other higher level masonic orders and Theosophical and Rosicrucian philosophies.

The OTO claims to follow the religion of Thelema and claims to have British occultist Aleister Crowley as a prophet. Crowley was the leader of the OTO from 1912 until his death in 1947. He went by the name 'Baphomet' and called himself the 'Beast 666' in some of his writings.

Crowley 'wrote' the OTO's main text, 'The Book of the Law', which refers to blood rituals and sacrifices, and attacking those who oppose them. By 1912, the OTO had a series of ten numbered degrees.

After Crowley's death the OTO declined but began gaining members again during the 70s-80s. The OTO claims to have several thousand members across the world.