Confidential coronial finding in Porter accuser’s death
Tim Dornin |
The South Australian coroner has made a finding but will not conduct an inquest into the death of a woman at the centre of historical rape allegations against former federal attorney-general Christian Porter.
Coroner David Whittle said an exhaustive investigation had been completed into the June 2020 death of the woman, referred to as Kate.
“I have entered a finding as to the cause of Kate’s death and determined that an inquest will not be held,” Mr Whittle said in a statement on Thursday.
“This is in accordance with the wishes of Kate’s family, who have requested their privacy be respected.”
Mr Whittle said as state coroner he was bound by confidentiality and no further information would be provided.
When contacted by AAP in relation to the ruling, Mr Porter said he had “no comment”.
However, a group who said in a statement they were speaking on behalf of Kate’s friends, thanked the SA coroner for his exhaustive and respectful investigation as they remained disappointed NSW police did not conduct similarly thorough inquiries.
Arts administrator Jo Dyer, Nick Ryan and Jeremy Samuel said they continued to believe there were “tragic failures of process” in the case.
“Whilst too late for Kate, if these failures are properly acknowledged, investigated and understood, it may help others who find themselves in a similar position of hopelessness and despair in the future,” they said.
“We completely understand and respect Kate’s family’s wish for privacy. Our ongoing relationship with them is cherished.”
When the allegations first emerged, Mr Porter was not named but later outed himself.
The then coalition minister vehemently denied having raped the woman when they were both teenagers in 1988.
“I have been subject to the most wild, intense and unrestrained series of accusations I can remember in modern Australian politics,” he told reporters in Perth at the time.
He said the alleged incident “just didn’t happen”.
“Could I have forgotten or misconstrued the things that I have read, which are said to have occurred? Absolutely not.”
Before her death, Kate had met NSW police detectives in Sydney in February 2020 and had contact with them on at least five occasions over the next three months.
On June 23 she indicated in an email that she did not wish to proceed with the complaint and soon after took her own life.
SA police prepared a report for the coroner who later asked them to investigate further.
Mr Porter took mental health leave from his ministerial role at the time of the allegations.
In a subsequent reshuffle, he was made minister for industry, science and technology in the Morrison government.
In September 2021 he resigned from cabinet amid concerns he had accepted anonymous donations through a blind trust to cover legal expenses.
In December of that year, he announced plans to quit politics, saying he would not contest the 2022 federal election.
Since then Mr Porter has returned to work as a barrister in Western Australia.
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