By Dean Adams
2022 Update: Mladin was acquitted of these charges.
Mladin Acquitted On All Charges; Has Retained US Counsel. Updated.
Reportedly, multi-time AMA Superbike champion and former Cagiva Grand Prix rider Mat Mladin has been arrested in his native Australia on child molestation charges. According to reports in Australia, Mladin has been charged with “sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10, two counts of intentionally carrying out a sex act on a child under 10, and one count of intentionally inciting a child to perform a sexual act“. Mladin was held in jail after being charged yet made bail and was released pending trial.
Mladin’s life has seen profound change since he retired from AMA/DMG Superbike racing after a rift with DMG. He moved back to Australia, of course, but was soon divorced from his longtime girlfriend/wife Janine, with whom he had two daughters. In doing so, Mladin then completely removed himself from racing, he shut down his Suzuki dealership (run by his brother Michael) and his Mat Mladin Imports accessories business. He then started a goat farm, and was still enjoying his aviation endeavors and began strength training. Because of the strength training he was somewhat unrecognizable when he attended the CotA MotoGP event last year as a guest of American Suzuki.
Mladin threatened a comeback once and backed a small team in Australian Superbike racing in recent years.
While renown for his semi-confrontational style with other humans while he raced, at least one former rival here in America was surprised to receive long, friendly and nearly effervescent email messages from Mladin quite frequently after he retired. In those email messages Mladin, who was well known for his mercurial temperament, was warm and friendly, even though he and the rider were never close. Mladin wrote about restoring 1970s bicycles and the events on his goat farm, in messages more reminiscent of EB White than Mat Mladin.
Email requesting comment or clarification on his arrest, sent to Mladin on his Gmail account, as yet are unanswered.
