Note: the following story discusses sexual assault and suicide.
Former attorney-general, former minister for industry and now former Liberal backbencher Christian Porter has announced he is quitting Parliament after he was accused of raping a former high school debating team member on a trip to Sydney in 1988 when she was 16 and he was 17. Porter strenuously denies the allegations.
The news is bittersweet for the friends of his accuser, known by her first name, Kate. It’s been a long road since the allegations were made public, with Porter launching defamation proceedings against the ABC and a judge banning its defence from going public.
South Australian wine writer Nick Ryan has known Kate since high school. They were on the same debate team and Ryan was Kate’s platonic date to her Year 11 formal. This morning he sat in the same small Adelaide cafe where Kate first told him of the allegations, in 2019, and drank a coffee.
“It’s a strange feeling,” he told Crikey. “I don’t know what to feel. There’s no triumphalism and it’s all kind of hollow.”
Porter’s resignation, he said, would have been welcomed by Kate if she was around to see it. Kate took her life in June 2020.
“Seeing him on the news or in Parliament, that was a trigger and it distressed Kate,” Ryan said.
Another friend since high school, Jeremy Samuel, tells Crikey Porter had made a series of missteps in handling the allegations.
Samuel and Kate met through a national debating championship, travelling to Disneyland in the US together between finishing high school and starting university.
“It’s an emotional rollercoaster, though I think Kate would have been happy with yesterday’s outcome,” Samuel said.
He hopes Porter’s resignation, coupled with sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins’ review into parliamentary workplace culture, signalled a change in politics to something more gender-balanced and more diverse.
Another lifelong friend, who asked to stay anonymous, tells Crikey the story isn’t over. The South Australian coroner has yet to release its findings into Kate’s death. While the NSW police didn’t investigate her allegation due to border closures and Kate wanting to speak to police in person — among other factors — Crikey understands the coroner is conducting a thorough investigation, interviewing more than 140 people.
There are also concerns around politicians using the new anti-trolling bill to silence critics with defamation — a growing trend among high-profile individuals in Parliament.
“It’s been a long journey and an imperfect process,” the friend said. “Kate would probably be pleased with the outcome, so maybe that’s progress.”
The group plans to finally meet in person to toast Kate later this year and to share stories of the bright, brilliant and funny woman — and reminisce over a lost friend.
For anyone seeking help, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue is 1300 22 4636. In an emergency, call 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
For counselling, advice and support for men in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491. Men in WA can contact the Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline on 1800 000 599.
‘the NSW police didn’t investigate her allegations due to border closures and Kate wanting to speak to police in person – amongst other things -‘
Would ‘those other things’ include the fact that Kate had contacted police and advised them of her decision not to proceed with the case?
Why omit this from the story?
Because she’s dead, and her and her family’s wishes have always been irrelevant. Just like the dead second ‘victim’ in the Pell case, who denied he was ever assaulted by Pell.
Such voiceless people are convenient props to partisan politics and personal obsessions.
I think Amber skipped a few steps there. My understanding is the NSW police did investigate and met with her several times, but they weren’t able to obtain a FORMAL statement from her due to lockdown, because she wanted to do it in the safety of her own home. From the start Kate said she would struggle being interviewed due to her disassociation.
They didnt interview CP, which may be due to needing her formal statement first, but I’m not a lawyer.
Given she had waited 30 years to approach police, and was clearly struggling to make the formal statement, i can see them not making it their top priority to travel to SA during lockdown.
I point this out only to prevent disinformation about the police not investigating because who CP was.
Will be interesting what the Coroner says.
Only kind of rough justice the victim will ever get. Boy Porter was schmoozed to the utmost by his doting Hale School masters, but the irritated women of 1990s UWA could have told you he was unfit to lead. Nobody asked them.
So much for sorority.
Good riddance to bad Porter.
Please do let the door hit you in the arse on the way out.
And Morrison will reccomend him highly,he will say how great a Minister he waa and how the bad people out there misjudged him!
I don’t think anythinng Crikey readers say will make any difference to Porter.
No, but it’s clear Crikey is intertwined with the four corners journalists who are intertwined with Kate’s friendship circle.
let this be forever how he is referred to:
alleged rapist, Christian Porter (who strongly denies the accusation)
On the balance of probability, and in the light of determined evasion of proper investigation, he is highly likely to be a brutal rapist.
Did he jump? Or was he pushed?
He had no hope of being re elected. He knew it and he has jumped before being tarred and feathered by his constituents at the next election
Part of his problem was that his electorate was recently redrawn and became more urban.
Both probably only a fly on the wall can tell us, sure it will be leaked at some stage.
Either way, I think the cap fitted well.