Bob Hawke ‘told daughter not to report rape’ for fear of political fallout
Bob Hawke’s daughter Rosslyn Dillon is claiming her dad told her not to report alleged rapes by a Labor MP because it could harm his chances of becoming prime minister.
NSW
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Bob Hawke’s daughter Rosslyn Dillon claims her father told her not to report an alleged rape by a Labor MP to protect his own prime ministerial ambitions.
The explosive allegations are detailed in a multi-million dollar legal claim Ms Dillon has made on her father’s estate following his death in May, and revealed last night by The New Daily.
Ms Dillon claims she told her father that his colleague and confidant Bill Landeryou assaulted her while she worked in his office in the 1980s.
She alleges the rapes took place at the Hilton Hotel, at Victoria’s Parliament House and a Melbourne home.
Mr Landeryou, a former ALP powerbroker and one-time state minister, is the father-in-law of Victorian senator Kimberly Kitching and father of former political blogger and Labor figure Andrew Landeryou.
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The Sunday Telegraph understands the Landeryou family were not aware of the accusation by Ms Dillon until recently, despite spending time with the Hawke family over the years.
Within months of Mr Hawke’s death in May, Ms Dillon initiated legal action against her father’s second wife Blanche d’Alpuget over his will, claiming her late father failed to provide adequately for her.
According to The New Daily, Ms Dillon claims the assaults took place when Mr Hawke was mounting a challenge to Bill Hayden for the Labor Party leadership.
The affidavit, filed with the NSW Supreme Court, claims Ms Dillon was struggling with heroin addiction at the time of the alleged rapes — a family crisis famously brought Mr Hawke to tears during his term in office.
It is understood Ms Dillon has engaged high-profile family lawyer Michael Tiyce, who is also a member of the East Sydney Liberal branch.
Mr Hawke, Labor’s longest-serving PM died in May, two days before the federal election.
He reportedly gave each of his children $750,000 but left the rest of his estate, including the proceeds of the sale of his $15 million home to Ms d’Alpuget.
Mr Landeryou, who was behind Mr Hawke’s early push to become prime minister, died in February aged 77.
The Sunday Telegraph contacted Labor leader Anthony Albanese who was unaware of the claims.
In the affidavit, revealed last night by The New Daily, Ms Dillon says the Australian Bureau of Statistics life expectancy data suggests she will live for another 27.59 years.
“I estimate that I will need the sum of “$1.23 million for my life expectancy”, the affidavit says.
She also seeks $7000 to pre-purchase a “modest funeral” and $14,400 for a burial plot at the Eastern Suburbs Cemetery.
Ms Dillon also wants $2.5 million to buy a house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs amid “one-off” expenses including $30,000 for dental implants (full mouth) and a $1,030 computer course.
Originally published as Bob Hawke ‘told daughter not to report rape’ for fear of political fallout