Minister must go public on rape claim, says Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull says there are questions around the death of a woman who alleges she was raped by a cabinet minister as he calls on the accused to identify himself.

Malcolm Turnbull, who said he was contacted by the alleged rape victim in December 2019, said the accused minister should come forward and publicly address the allegation. Picture: AAP

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says there are questions marks around the death of a woman who alleges she was raped by a current cabinet minister, as he called on the accused frontbencher to identify himself.

NSW Police will not proceed with an investigation into the alleged rape, citing “insufficient admissible evidence”, as Scott Morrison faces increasing pressure to launch an independent inquiry into the claim.

On Monday, the Prime Minister rejected calls to stand down the accused minister over the allegation which has engulfed the government.

An anonymous letter sent to Mr Morrison, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young alleged a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988, a claim briefly investigated by NSW Police before the complainant asked for the inquiry to be dropped and later died.

Mr Turnbull, who said he was contacted by the alleged victim in December 2019, said the accused minister should come forward and publicly address the allegation.

“The fact is, he owes it to his colleagues and the country to step out, to step forward and say right I’m the person referred to, and then set out all the details,” ” he told ABC radio.

“He should provide a comprehensive statement of what he knows about the allegations. If he’s vigorously denied them to the Prime Minister, he should vigorously deny them to the public.”

“He should describe when he knew the woman, how he knew the woman, what dealings he had with the woman after the events.”

He added it was “vitally important” the accused minister addressed what he knew about the complaint and when he was made aware of it.

“We are seriously going to have a question time where the opposition asks every single minister whether they are the person named in the complaint,” he said.

Mr Turnbull, who has called for a coronial inquiry into the woman’s death, said questions marks remained around the circumstances of the woman’s suicide.

“Now it’s said that she suicided? Did she? What led to it if she did suicide, if she did take her own life?,” he said.

Mr Turnbull said the woman took her own life in the same week Dyson Heydon’s misconduct in the High Court was exposed in a report.

“Why did she suicide? Why did she pursued this complaint for so long and then just a moment when you think should be encouraged, take her own life?,” he said.

“You think those would be circumstances in which she would be encouraged in the prospect of her complaint being taken seriously.”

“I have a question mark, in my own mind, about the timing of it because it seems counterintuitive.”

“We don’t know for sure that she took her own life, we know for sure that she’s dead.”

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw refused to weigh in on Mr Turnbull casting doubt on the woman’s suicide.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate on that matter only to say, and reassure, that the public have confidence in the process of both New South Wales police and South Australia police,” he told 2GB radio.

NSW Police reported it had closed on Monday afternoon. After the woman’s death, the police obtained a “a personal document purportedly made by the woman previously.” NSW Police said it sought legal advice in relation to these matters, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the investigation.

On Monday, The Prime Minister, in his first comments on allegations which have engulfed the government, said he had raised the claims with the minister on Wednesday.

He said the minister had “categorically” denied the allegations, made public on Friday. Mr Morrison said the minister should not have to stand aside because allegations had been raised in the media. He said he had raised the allegations with the Australian Federal Police. There are, however, growing doubts police will be able to investigate because the woman who alleged the rape died in June.

Mr Turnbull said it was “not good enough” for Mr Morrison to say it was a matter for the police.

“The Prime Minister cannot outsource his responsibility for composing his ministry to the police,” he said.

Cabinet colleagues on Monday have so far publicly supported the minister and said he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who received the anonymous letter last week and referred the matter to the AFP, said police would be unable to investigate the accusation now the woman was dead and called on the minister to stand aside.