Rape complainant’s parents want death inquiry

Complainant who alleged Christian Porter raped her didn’t want to proceed because of medical, personal reasons, NSW Police say.

Christian Porter identifies himself as the unnamed cabinet minister accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. Picture: AFP

NSW Police have revealed that the woman who alleged she was raped by Attorney-General Christian Porter more than 30 years ago said she didn’t want to proceed with a sexual assault claim because of medical and personal reasons.

The revelation came as the woman’s parents said they would support “any inquiry” into the circumstances leading to their daughter’s death and Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese clashed over establishing an independent investigation into the historical rape allegation.

According to a detailed police statement released on Thursday, the woman advised them on February 27 last year that she had a number of health issues and “dissociates”. Investigators had ongoing contact with her on at least five occasions over the next three months before she decided not to make a formal statement.

NSW Police said the alleged victim told detectives she didn’t want to proceed with a sexual assault complaint a day before she committed suicide on June 24.

NSW police also said they could not question Mr Porter over the rape allegation because the alleged victim had not provided a formal statement before she died.

The Prime Minister said on Thursday there was no precedent for an independent inquiry into the rape allegation, which dates back to 1988 when Mr Porter and the alleged victim were teenagers.

The allegations have been vehemently denied by Mr Porter. The Attorney-General is on leave for his mental health and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has also taken sick leave after facing intense scrutiny over her handling of the alleged rape of her former staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. The absences leave Mr Morrison without two of his cabinet ministers.

Mr Porter identified himself as the cabinet minister at the centre of the rape allegation on Wednesday after NSW Police said its investigation into the matter had been closed due to insufficient admissible evidence.

Mr Morrison said there was no other process to investigate the matter. “There is not the mob process,” he said. “There is not the tribe-has-spoken process. That’s not how we run the rule of law in Australia.

Scott Morrison visits Quarry Mining at Beresfield in NSW. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

“We run the rule of law based on police. On courts. On judicial systems. On rules of evidence. On presumption of innocence. That’s how liberal democracies function. And we have to be very careful, very careful, even in traumatic and sensitive issues like this, that we don’t fundamentally undermine that principle. Because upon that, our entire system is built.”

Mr Albanese ratcheted up demands for an independent inquiry into the rape allegation against Mr Porter, saying the matter would be examined by the media “rather than through appropriate processes” if one was not conducted.

“It’s time for the Prime Minister to give both himself and Australians confidence that Mr Porter is a fit and proper person to hold the office of Attorney-General,” Mr Albanese said.

“This is the first law officer of the land. That does matter.”

The alleged victim’s parents released a statement through their lawyers on Thursday, throwing their weight behind an investigation into their daughter’s death.

“The family of the deceased continue to experience considerable grief arising from their loss,” said a spokeswoman for the family. “They are supportive of any inquiry which would potentially shed light on the circumstances surrounding the deceased’s passing. They ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

South Australian coroner David Whittle has not decided whether to hold an inquest into the alleged victim’s death, the cause and circumstances of which are being investigated by the state’s police.

The Australian understands the woman was in a two-week COVID-19 isolation period in Adelaide when she died. She was understood to be living alone, having returned from Melbourne where she had been seeking medical care and treatment. Senior government figures said on Thursday that some within the Coalition believed the ABC’s “pursuit” of the alleged victim to tell her story “would be firmly in the spotlight” in any coronial inquest examining the circumstances surrounding her death.

Former Liberal staffer Dhanya Mani, who became close friends with the woman, said on Sunday that Four Corners had approached the alleged victim’s lawyer to speak to her before she died. The ABC categorically denied this on Thursday. “No one from Four Corners had any contact with the alleged victim, or her family, or her lawyer, before her death,” a spokeswoman said.

Mr Morrison has already lost his working majority on the floor of the House of Representatives and has to rely on the support of the Speaker in the case of a tied vote, after rebel MP Craig Kelly defected from the Liberal Party to the crossbench. He would be plunged into minority government if another of his lower house MPs decided to resign from parliament.

Friends of the woman have been calling for a public inquiry into Mr Porter and say they will step up pressure on the Morrison government to get to the bottom of their friend’s allegations.

NSW Police said that, in their first meeting with the alleged victim, she had wanted to ensure that she was “coherent and as grounded as possible” when making her statement. She was accompanied by a friend.

Less than four months later, on June 23, the woman decided not to make a formal statement.

“As previously indicated, it was only following the woman’s death that NSW Police came into possession of a personal document purportedly made by the woman sometime prior,” NSW Police said.

“From a legal and investigative standpoint, due diligence is required, particularly in historical sexual assault allegations, to ensure that the matter is comprehensively investigated and all available evidence is obtained, reviewed, and corroborated where possible.

“Investigative strategies need to be considered as part of this best practice model. Providing a version to a suspect prior to obtaining a formal statement would have an impact on any future investigative strategies.”

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call Lifeline on 13 11 14