Ardent Leisure pleads guilty to three charges over 2016 Dreamworld tragedy

Ardent Leisure pleads guilty to three charges over 2016 Dreamworld tragedy

Theme park operator Ardent Leisure has entered a guilty plea for all three charges brought against it over the Dreamworld tragedy in 2016.

Prosecutors for Queensland Work Health and Safety filed the charges in the Brisbane Magistrates Court last week, claiming that Ardent Leisure failed to comply with health and safety duty, thereby exposing individuals to a risk of death or serious injury.

Roozbeh Araghi, Luke Dorsett, Kate Goodchild and Cindy Low were all killed due to a malfunctioning of the infamous Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld more than four years ago.

Ardent Leisure’s legal representative pleaded guilty to the trio of charges on behalf of the company in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday, according to multiple media reports. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of $1.5 million.

An arraignment will take place in the same court on 28 September.

The charges come not long after Ardent was hit with a shareholder class action in connection with the Dreamworld tragedy.

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