Published 13:02 IST, March 4th 2021
Australia PM dismisses calls for inquiry into rape allegation against Christian Porter
Australia’s PM Scott Morrison backed Porter expressing concern that he [Christian Porter] has “obviously” been through a very traumatic series of events.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday rejected calls for launching an independent probe into the allegations against his attorney-general that he raped a woman. The woman presumably took her own life last year after reporting the incident to the New South Wales Police in 2019. Porter strenuously denied the rape claims as he confronted the Australian press in Perth, saying, ‘Nothing in the allegations that have been printed ever happened’, proclaiming his innocence, and clarifying that he would not step down. Meanwhile, Australia’s PM dismissed the calls to investigate Porter and slammed 'mob justice'. Morrison told local reporters that he will welcome' his attorney general back, adding that 'the rule of law must prevail' in a televised statement.
At the press conference in Perth, Australia's PM backed Porter expressing concern that he [Christian Porter] has "obviously" been through a very traumatic series of events. And he can't wait for his attorney general to resume his duties. Porter has been on medical leaves citing that he needed emotional support to deal with the current circumstances. Saying that an appeal for probe into the rape allegation from the family and friends of the deceased victim would risk Australia's rule of law and the presumption of innocence, Australia's PM reiterated that the NSW police had already closed the case citing "insufficient admissible evidence".
Morrison: Police 'relevant authority'
Speaking at the NSW Hunter region press conference, Australia's leader defended Porter saying that it was the fundamental principle of liberal democracy that the police is the 'relevant authority'. "I don't agree with the precedent or the prima facie case for there being such a process [independent probe], that would say that our rule of law and our police are not competent to deal with these issues," Morrison said in a televised address. "This is not mob process, this is not the tribe-has-spoken process, that's not how we run the rule of law in Australia," PM Morrison added.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the dead woman at the center of a historical rape allegation who had alleged to the police that she was raped by Porter when she was just 16, told the press that a "cloud is hanging over" the Cabinet minister and he wouldn’t want a probe. Michael Bradley told Today that PM Morrison must not rule out an investigation. "The prime minister has a choice, and that is either accept that this matter is closed based on Porter's denial of the allegation, or initiate a process to deal with it, gather evidence, test it, it weighs it up, then it reaches a determination," the lawyer said in a live-streamed address.
Updated 13:02 IST, March 4th 2021