A federal political staffer has been charged with two counts of rape, over an incident alleged to have taken place in April this year.
Alexander Matters, 20, who works for ACT federal Labor MP David Smith, was arrested yesterday, after a complaint was received by police last month.
Mr Matters was formally charged with two counts of rape in the ACT Magistrates Court this morning, over an alleged incident in April.
The court heard he is also a second-year law student at the Australian National University (ANU).
He appeared in a grey windcheater jacket and shorts by video link from the ACT court cells, but did not enter any pleas.
Mr Matters's lawyer, Andrew Fraser, applied for bail for his client, but the prosecution raised concerns about statements Mr Matters had made to police about self-harm.
Mr Fraser told the court it was a throwaway line.
"He's a person in some shock," Mr Fraser said.
"It's his first interaction with the criminal justice system." But Magistrate Peter Morrison said he had to consider the comment carefully, given there was other information from Mr Matters's ANU college about his situation.
Mr Matters has been referred for a mental health assessment.
