Scott Morrison is facing a growing noise calling for an independent investigation into alleged rape allegations against Christian Porter, as the attorney general admits he may have been in contact with the woman after 1988.
Hours after the Prime Minister rejected the need for an investigation into the length of the arm on a grounds that would offend the law, the family of a woman who said Porter assaulted her when they were teenagers backed “any inquiry” that would shed light on the circumstances “surrounding” her death in June 2020.
Mounting Pressure
As friends rallied, urging Morrison to change his mind about an independent probe, and pledging cooperation with any credible process – a close friend of the now deceased woman, who accompanied her to make a statement to the New South Wales police in 2020, told Guardian Australia Porter had dined with her friend after 1988.
The woman, who declined to be named, set the timing was around “1990s”.
On Wednesday Porter – who openly denies allegations of rape of the woman – said he only knew the woman “in very short intervals in debate competitions when we were growing up”. The attorney general twice suggested that he had not seen the victim since 1988 “in my memory”.
Christian Porter’s Spokesperson
In a statement recording her recollections of the events of 1988 and her subsequent contacts with Porter – a statement circulated to Scott Morrison and other parliamentarians and reported by Guardian Australia on Monday – the now deceased woman said she had dinner with Porter in Perth in 1994.
A spokesman for Porter said the attorney general had not been clear on Wednesday, providing only his best recollection. “If there is some information that there was some form of contact in the early 1990s, that is not impossible and it’s not a case of disputing that possibility.”
A spokesman for the conference added: “But the attorney general does not remember anyone who has been in contact with him since 1988 during that time more than three decades ago.”
In addition to calls across the political divide for the prime minister to intervene, more friends of Porter’s dead accuser told Guardian Australia they support an investigation – including Labor MP Daniel Mulino, comedic actor Francis Greenslade, and former debating coach Anthony Durkin.
The Incident
Morrison and senior Liberal officials have rejected a proposal for an independent inquiry, citing the attorney general’s strong refusal when he appeared on Wednesday identifying himself as the cabinet minister at the centre of the controversy.
But the family of the deceased woman, in a statement issued by lawyers, undercut that positioning. “They are supportive of any inquiry which would shed light on the circumstances surrounding the deceased passing,” they said in a statement through Douglas Hoskins Legal. “They ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.”
NSW police said there was “insufficient evidence” to continue their investigation, but a South Australian investigator ordered police in the province, where the woman died, to continue the investigation before deciding whether to investigate.
The incident allegedly took place at the University of Sydney when Porter and a school team went to university competitions in preparation for the first international school competition.
Mulino revealed on Thursday that he was aware of the complaint in December 2019 because he was a member of the Australian school team in 1987 with Porter, the woman and Matt Deeble.
“I was a friend of the plaintiff,” Mulino said. “I first became aware of the complainant’s complaint in December 2019.
“She indicated to me that she was determined to proceed with a formal complaint and I supported her in that decision. I ensured that the complainant was receiving appropriate support.”
Support
On Thursday, Labor executives Anthony Albanese, Penny Wong and Tanya Plibersek warned that an independent inquiry would be needed to ensure that the Prime Minister and the people of Australia retained confidence in the attorney general, joining Greeks and independents including Zali Steggall.
Plibersek also left open the possibility of a parliamentary inquiry, telling ABC TV that while she would not engage in speculation “none of these options should be off the table at this stage” for what was a “serious and unusual case”.
Greenslade, speaking in a personal capacity, told Guardian Australia he was friends with the woman after selecting her for the South Australian debating team.
He described her as “a kind, lovely and gentle human being who would not cause any harm to anyone”. “There needs to be an investigation.”
The then coach of the 1988 South Australian debating team, Anthony Durkin, now a barrister, also lent his support to an inquiry.
