Australia’s attorney general Christian Porter denies rape allegation

Australia has been rocked by a rape allegation against a cabinet minister, and the attorney general has identified himself as the minister in question

He tearfully denied raping a 16-year-old girl in 1988, saying it ‘never happened’, and said he will not step down

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Australian attorney general Christian Porter has said he will not step down over a 1988 rape allegation. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:47pm, 3 Mar 2021Updated: 1:38pm, 3 Mar 2021

Australia’s attorney general on Wednesday outed himself as the unnamed cabinet minister accused of raping a 16-year-old girl, denying the decades-old allegation and trying to draw a line under a crisis that has consumed the country’s conservative government.

After a week of speculation that has dominated Australian politics, 50-year-old Christian Porter – the government’s top lawyer and a former prosecutor – tearfully denied wrongdoing, saying “the allegations never happened”.

Porter insisted he would not step down, but he would take leave to deal with the mental strain caused by the allegations.

“I’ve discussed with the prime minister today that after speaking with my own doctor I’m going to take a short period of leave to assess and hopefully improve my own mental health.”

Porter was forced to come forward after senior lawmakers last week received details of allegations that Porter in 1988 raped a then 16-year-old girl who died by suicide last year before making a formal complaint to police.

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