SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens met with AFP on Minister rape allegation
SA’s top cop met today with his counterparts over allegations an Adelaide woman was raped by a federal Cabinet Minister. Meanwhile, NSW Police has closed its investigation.
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The state’s top cop met with two of the county’s most senior officers over claims an Adelaide woman was raped by a Federal Cabinet Minister.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens revealed on Tuesday morning that he was due to speak with his NSW counterpart Mick Fuller “on this topic” and then AFP boss Reece Kershaw.
He would not elaborate further and a police spokesman refused to comment after the meetings.
“The Commissioner will not be making any further comment at this time,” the spokesman said.
Mr Stevens also confirmed he had spoken with former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last year.
He declined to discuss what actions had occurred after that conversation:
“But I can confirm that I did have a conversation with the former prime minister and he did provide correspondence but I wouldn’t elaborate on that,” he said.
“SA Police involvement in the circumstances that are currently being spoken about related to the preparation of the report for the Coroner that’s been done.”
The woman, 48, took her own life in June last year. She had alleged she was raped by the MP, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
In a statement today, NSW Police said the case was closed due to insufficient evidence.
The statement said the woman, then aged 48, attended an Adelaide Police station seeking advice about reporting historical sexual offences which allegedly occurred in Sydney in 1988.
The matter was referred to the NSW Police Force and an investigation was started.
The woman did not make a formal statement to NSW police and then passed away in June 2020.
“Based on information provided to NSW Police, there is insufficient admissible evidence to proceed,” the statement said.
“As such, NSW Police Force has determined the matter is now closed.”
Also today, news.com.au published a photograph showing a minister and the woman who accused him of rape pictured together on the night of the alleged incident.
He is wearing a pinstriped shirt. She claims in the unsworn affidavit that he asked her to iron it for him before that night, telling her she would “make someone a wonderful wife” one day.
The Liberal MP at the centre of the allegations “absolutely rejects” the claim he raped the woman when she was a teenage girl in the 1980s and is said to be doing “not good”.
That’s according to people close to him that have spoken to The West Australian.
It comes amid mounting pressure for the MP to step aside and calls for an independent inquiry into the matter that has rocked the Parliament House.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken a swipe at Scott Morrison’s handling of the allegation and urged the accused MP to “step forward” and clear the air.
He said the Prime Minister could not “outsource his responsibility” for the makeup of his ministry to the police and it was now “impossible” for the minister to function in the cabinet.
“Frankly, it’s not good enough for the Prime Minister to say, ‘Oh, it’s a matter for the police’,” Mr Turnbull told ABC RN today.
“If the minister had vigorously denied the claims to the Prime Minister, he should also deny them to the public.
“The fact is he owes it to his colleagues and the country to step out step forward and say ‘I’m the person referred to’ and then set out all the details.”
Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy in 2019 received a letter detailing the “very grave” alleged rape from the woman who died last year.
He said two issues needed to be addressed; her death and the rape allegations, which he added could be investigated despite the former.
“She went to the NSW Police with a lawyer. And then in 2020, just as she was about to sign the final witness statement, she takes her own life,” Mr Turnbull said.
“She does so in the week (former judge) Dyson Heydon’s conduct is exposed in a report done by the High Court.
“You think those would be circumstances in which she would be encouraged, in the prospect of a complaint being taken seriously.
“We don’t know for sure that she took her own life. We know for sure that she’s dead, and there needs to be an inquest.”
Mr Turnbull said if the allegations had presented themselves while he was prime minister, he would have spoken to the police to ascertain whether the minister knew about the complaint and any investigation.
Premier Steven Marshall spoke about the handling of the case on Tuesday morning.
“I think that the appropriate way to proceed is for the police to conduct their investigation and I strongly support that,” he said.
“In terms of whether the coroner should do an inquest in South Australia, it’s quite possible the coroner will conduct an inquest into the death.
“But that really, under our statue, can’t begin until the police investigation is concluded (and) that would be a matter for the coroner.”
Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck said the independent authority for investigating those sorts of allegations is the police.
“Are we talking about creating some kind of new authority for investigating these types of things?” Mr Colbeck said.
“Police are an independent authority. They are set up and designed to investigate those things.”
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten told Today it was important that the police investigate the claims and that the woman’s story was heard.
“I think it would be good of the prime minister and sensible to reassure the Australian people that the cabinet minister will fully co-operate with the police inquiry,” Mr Shorten said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual abuse contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Originally published as SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens met with AFP on Minister rape allegation
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