A 40-year-old Latrobe Valley man is in court charged with 191 offences over the Black Saturday fires in Gippsland.
The man, who has been in custody since February last year, has appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
His lawyers are seeking their client’s name be suppressed based on concerns for his safety.
They have told the court there is an unprecedented level of public hatred, antipathy and animosity over an event that shocked the entire state.
They say he has already been attacked in court and is vulnerable, with severe disabilities.
The lawyers have described some of the reporting on the case as hysterical.
The man is charged with 10 counts of arson resulting in death in the Churchill-Jeeralang fires on February 7, 2009.
He is also facing 157 charges of arson causing damage to property, 20 charges of recklessly causing serious injury, and one count of possessing child pornography.
There are expected to be almost 200 witnesses called for the committal hearing.
