Christian Porter: Rape claim would have struggled ‘even with the woman’, says NSW Police Commissioner

The NSW Police Commissioner said a historic rape claim against Christian Porter may not have proceeded even if the woman was alive.

The NSW Police Commissioner said a historical rape claim against Attorney-General Christian Porter may not have proceeded even if the woman was alive.

NSW Police closed the investigation stating that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Hours before her death, the alleged victim also withdrew her statement to police.

Amid rising pressure for an independent inquiry into the allegation, the force’s commissioner Mick Fuller said today that the case would have struggled to get to court.

“It is not impossible but almost impossible to proceed with a matter like this without the (alleged) victim,” Mr Fuller told 2GB radio.

“The matter itself, even with the (alleged) victim, probably would’ve struggled to get before a court. These are challenging matters, particularly when they’re historic.”

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller spoke about the allegations at a press conference. Picture: Damian Shaw/NCA NewsWire

Meanwhile, it has been revealed the woman who claimed she was raped by Mr Porter spoke of it eight years ago in a therapy session with a sexual assault counsellor.

Four Corners will reveal tonight that the woman first sought help from the counsellor in about 2013 and saw her six times.

The Attorney-General vehemently denies the woman’s claims a rape occurred in 1988 after she and Mr Porter had been out in Sydney.

The counsellor told Four Corners the woman spoke of a boy called Christian that she had been debating with.

She said she was “extremely articulate”, “not delusional”, and volunteered the allegation of her own volition – blowing open the idea, that has been reported over the weekend, that she somehow “recovered” her memory of the attack by visiting a controversial Sydney psychologist.

Mr Porter last week addressed the media to strenuously deny all allegations against him, saying “it just didn’t happen”.

“I was 17 years old and the other person was 16. We were both selected, with two others, on the Australian Schools Debating Team and we went to Sydney University for an international competition. It was a long time ago and I’d always remembered it as a happy time,” Mr Porter told reporters last week.

RELATED: Christian Porter reveals himself as Minister accused of rape, denies claims

The woman (right) and her friend Jo Dyer in their high school debating days. Picture: Supplied to Four Corners

“But I can say categorically that what has been put in various forms and allegations simply did not happen.”

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The psychiatric history of the Adelaide woman and two factual errors in her statement have prompted speculation that she may have used repressed memory theory to access her trauma.

However, the counsellor who spoke to Four Corners, said the woman didn’t need to “recover” her memories.

“She told me she had always remembered it,” the counsellor said.

She also told the show the woman was torn about pursuing the matter knowing it could ruin the man’s life.

The woman made a report to the police in 2019, however did not complete her formal statement before dying by suicide in Adelaide in June 2020.

Pressure has been mounting for an inquiry into the incident.

The South Australian Coroner is yet to decide whether to conduct a formal inquiry into the woman’s death.

Last week, Mr Porter broke his silence to reporters in Perth after the NSW Police revealed there was “insufficient admissible evidence” to proceed with an investigation into the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl.

RELATED: Key doubts over Porter accuser’s story

Attorney-General Christian Porter denied the claims. Picture: Stefan Gosatti/AFP

Mr Porter said he only knew the complainant for a brief period in his teens.

With voice shaking and tears welling in his eyes, he began by addressing the parents of the alleged victim, saying they deserved better than the allegation being politicised.

“The things that have been claimed to happen did not happen. I do not mean to impose anything more upon your grief,” he said.

“I hope that you will also understand that, because what is being alleged did not happen, I must say so publicly.”

The allegations came to light after an anonymous letter, which included an attachment containing the claims reportedly from the woman involved, was sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Labor Senator Penny Wong and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Gripping the lectern tightly while fielding questions from journalists, Mr Porter said he was aware of a “whispering campaign” before the story broke but no one had ever put specific allegations to him.

He said had the accusation ever been put to him before they were printed, he would have only told the truth.

“And that is that nothing in the allegations that have been printed, ever happened,” Mr Porter said.

The Attorney-General confirmed he and the alleged victim had attended a debating competition at the University of Sydney in 1988.

The woman, pictured on the far right, took her own life last year.

He said he kept silent as police worked through their process.

“In this last week, I have tried to do what I’ve tried to do all of my life, respect the rules and the processes in the law,” he said.

“I was determined to follow the process set out by the AFP commission. It’s a process which, because of my background I know well, to not comment on allegations through the media because it risks prejudicing any investigation.

“While I have followed the rules, I have been subject to the most wild, intense (and) unrestrained series of accusations that I can remember in modern Australian politics.

“Maybe that’s the new normal.”

He said he would take a period of leave, and would seek professional mental health support.

The Prime Minister said on Friday that a coronial inquest was a matter for SA authorities.

“The issue as to whether there is a coronial inquiry in South Australia is entirely a matter for the South Australian coroner,” he said.

“And if they chose to go ahead with that, of course, I would welcome that.

“But it would be highly inappropriate for me as prime minister, or any other politician, to interfere or intervene in a decision that a coroner should properly make about those issues.”

Mr Morrison also said that if Mr Porter was called to give evidence at a coronial inquiry that he would of course co-operate.

“And if the coroner sought that, then I have no doubt that the Attorney-General would co-operate with any coronial process.”