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Australian PM Scott Morrison backs attorney general accused of rape, says law must be followed
- Attorney general Christian Porter on Wednesday denied he had raped a 16-year-old girl in 1988, saying he would not resign
- Police said there was insufficient evidence to investigate and Morrison said Australia must follow the presumption of innocence in the matter
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Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday expressed support for his attorney general, who this week denied accusations he raped a schoolgirl when he was a teenager.
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Morrison told reporters Australia must follow the rule of law and the presumption of innocence in the matter, after police concluded there was insufficient evidence to investigate lawmaker Christian Porter, a 50-year-old former prosecutor.
The woman who accused Porter died by suicide last year after she had gone to police and then later withdrawn her complaint. Her accusation against Porter became public last week after being sent anonymously to Morrison and other lawmakers.
The case has intensified scrutiny of the culture in Parliament, where a staff member two weeks ago made an unrelated claim that she was raped by a senior colleague.
In the latest case, Morrison said his heart broke for the woman’s family, who lost a loved one. “These are harrowing events,” he said.
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