Yahoo Finance Morrison blasted for treating rape allegations as ‘media and political issue’
Another friend of the woman who accused Christian Porter of sexual assault has come forward to blast the prime minister for “dealing with the allegation as a media and political issue”.
George Karzis, a member of the 1985 South Australian debating team and attender of the 1988 world university championships at which the incident allegedly took place, told Guardian Australia it was “basic logic” an independent inquiry is now needed to lift the cloud over the attorney general.
Porter categorically denies the alleged sexual assault and argues that testing it outside the NSW police investigation, which has now been dropped, would harm the rule of law and effectively require him to disprove it – a characterisation rejected by some legal experts.
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But calls for an inquiry have grown in the run-up to a Four Corners episode on Porter that the ABC reports will reveal that the woman first told a counsellor eight years ago about the allegation.
Scott Morrison and senior ministers remain opposed to an independent inquiry, although Morrison has said he would welcome a potential South Australian coronial inquest into the woman’s death by suicide in June 2020.
The woman’s family has backed “any inquiry” that can shed light on the circumstances of her death; while friends including Labor MP Daniel Mulino, comedic actor Francis Greenslade, and former debating coach Anthony Durkin, have all called for an independent inquiry.
Karzis told Guardian Australia he was concerned the alleged sexual assault in 1988 “may not be canvassed in the coronial inquiry” if it was not deemed sufficiently connected to her death.
“[The allegation is] a huge cloud over the office of the attorney general,” Karzis said. “I don’t mean Christian Porter any ill will – it’s just basic logic you need to lift that cloud over someone sitting in cabinet.”
Aside from repeated denials of the alleged sexual assault, Porter told reporters on Wednesday he recalled few details of the tournament, beyond a formal dinner and a second event featuring large “bowls of prawns”.
Asked about details from the woman’s written statement, Porter accepted that they “may well have” gone to the Hard Rock cafe – now believed to be the Oz Rock cafe – that it “sounds about right” that they went out dancing, and that it was “not impossible” that he had said she would make a good wife as she ironed a shirt.
On Wednesday Porter said he had no recollection of having contact with the woman after January 1988.
The woman claimed she had dinner with Porter in Perth in 1994, an account backed by a close friend who accompanied her to make a statement to the New South Wales police in 2020 and Robert Crocker, an Adelaide-based academic and writer who was a work colleague of the woman.
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On Friday Morrison characterised calls for an independent inquiry as “the rule of the mob” and accused those calling to test the allegations against Porter of “undermining the principles of the rule of law”.
Asked about the need for an inquiry, Morrison replied: “No, I don’t accept this proposition that any Australian should be subject to a rule of law that is different to anyone else.
“There is the presumption of innocence. I believe in the presumption of innocence.
“[The investigation], as the police have said, has concluded.
“And given that process has concluded, the presumption of innocence stands. And so we should be able to move on from that. There is no alternative process.”
Karzis said his “real disappointment has been the reaction of the prime minister” adding that “dealing with this as a media and political issue is just plain wrong”.
A spokesman for the attorney-general said Porter is on medical leave and “does not propose to comment further”.
On Monday the NSW police commissioner, Mick Fuller, gave his account of why the investigation was dropped.
“Unfortunately, in this case, we hadn’t been able to take an admissible statement from the [alleged] victim in this matter,” he told 2GB radio.
“As police were working through post-Covid restrictions to get that statement the victim withdrew her complaint.”
Fuller said although “not impossible” it was “almost impossible” to proceed in such a matter without the victim’s formal statement and “even with the victim, it probably would’ve struggled to get before a court”.
“These are challenging matters, particularly when they’re historic.”
Defending the NSW police’s decision not to interview Porter before closing the case, Fuller said that “focusing on Mr Porter, it’s not going to change things” given that the alleged victim had confirmed in writing she wanted the matter withdrawn.
On Monday the minister for women, Marise Payne, said she appreciated the “extremely difficult” and “unprecedented” set of circumstances.
“And it would be unprecedented if we moved to establish an inquiry of this nature based on an allegation,” she said.
“That would mean that any person in Australia, in any role, in any job can be put in the position of ignoring the rule of law.”
On Friday Guardian Australia revealed that two cabinet ministers – Greg Hunt and Paul Fletcher – attended the 1988 World University Debating Championships.
Hunt, who debated for Melbourne university, said to the best of his recollection he never met the woman; Fletcher, who was an assistant to the organisers of the competition, has declined to answer questions about whether he met her and Porter at the tournament.
Guardian Australia contacted Morrison for comment.
• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
