Content warning: mention of rape and sexual assault, suicide, domestic violence
The women of Australia are angry.
In the last couple of weeks, allegations towards two senior Ministers in the Federal Government have come to light. Australia’s Attorney General, Christian Porter, publicly identified himself as the Minister accused of raping a woman in 1988. The woman reported this incident to the police, but would tragically withdraw these allegations one day before taking her own life last year.
Written documents outlining the alleged rape have since been sent to members of parliament and the media, assumedly by the victim’s friends or family. While these documents have not been released to the public, the media have said that diary entries documenting the incident are part of it.
In response to this, rather than taking swift action to investigate the allegations against one of his senior Ministers, the Prime Minister has – once again – let women down. We have seen Scott Morrison stand up and support this man without even bothering to read the documents himself. We have seen public denial of a deceased person’s trauma, and we have seen men in power push their own agenda to protect themselves and their political status.
According to a report written in 20101, over the past 20 years, only 2-10% of rape accusations are proven to be false. Why then, when a man in power is accused of rape, is society’s first instinct to question the legitimacy of the accusations? Scott Morrison was quoted saying that Christian Porter emphatically denied it, and so he would be taking no further action. There is no independent investigation happening, and he is not being stood down.
This is a blatant double standard for our society. In any sector other than politics, swift action is usually taken to remove the accused from the public eye and from their position until an investigation has been completed. In 2019, the Australian Rugby League Commission implemented a ‘no fault stand down policy’, which means players are stood down from playing NRL if allegations are made, until a full investigation has been completed.
Globally famous singer Marilyn Manson recently had domestic violence and sexual harassment allegations made against him, and within 48 hours his record label had publicly dumped him, and numerous high-profile friends of him have come out in support of the victims.
Why then, are the leaders of our country not held to the same degree of accountability? These leaders should have a responsibility to set a standard for the rest of the country, and should not be protected just because of their status.
All that I can say is that nearly every woman I know has experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault by a man in their life. Nearly every single woman I know. And with only 2-10% of rape allegations being false, who is more likely to be lying? The deceased woman who attempted to report the incident, then withdrew the allegations before taking her life, or the man in a position of power who has everything to lose? What motive would this woman or her family have for making these false allegations? What have they got to gain?
Why, in 2021, is the onus on the woman who has been attacked to prove that such a horrific thing happened? I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty hard to have evidence of such an incident beyond medical swabbing immediately after the incident happens. This is problematic as many women experience shame, fear and even blame themselves after sexual assault. Many may not feel safe having a medical examination (especially one so invasive) very after such a traumatic event. Many Indigenous women may not feel safe reporting the incident and trusting police. This means that it’s our word against theirs, and apparently a man’s word is more legitimate than a woman’s.
There needs to be an independent investigation into this, so that women know that they will be heard if they speak out. It's worth adding that I find it HIGHLY unlikely that this woman harboured a hatred for a man she met once so much that she wrote a fake diary, took her own life and then organised for the diary to be released to the media just to 'stitch him up'. Far more likely that a privileged man in power is trying to save his own arse.
That being said, regardless of guilt or innocence, the narrative that Christian Porter has been spinning is irresponsible and dangerous. Instead of claiming his innocence and stating that he is open to an investigation into the incident, he told a sad and pitiful story about a powerful, privileged white man whose life was being ruined by women and the media. This is the rhetoric that men have been spewing since before the #metoo movement even gained traction after allegations about Harvey Weinstein (who has been proven guilty, funnily enough) came to light in 2017. These men want to silence us, so they play the victim and appeal to other men with the concept that ‘this could happen to you’.
Reading various social media comments (why do I allow myself to go to the comments section?!) you will see that many men are falling for this rhetoric. The very unrealistic idea that women are waiting in the shadows to make false allegations against men is a common belief in our society. Let’s not forget that it was legal for a married man to rape his wife only a short time ago, in the late 1970s. It’s not hard to understand why sexual assault is still so prolific, especially among men who think they can get away with it.
The reason women have resorted to outing these sexual predators in the media is because they have no trust in the judicial system. A system run primarily by privileged white men, who have to relate a sexual assault to it happening to their daughter to be able to understand it. A system that closes an investigation into serious allegations about a very powerful man, without properly looking into it. The police did not even question Christian Porter before closing the case. We clearly have a long way to go before there is justice for all.
How can Scott Morrison claim that he ‘believes woman’ when his actions show that if you speak out, you will be dismissed? If it is our word against theirs and there is no ‘admissible evidence’, what hope does a woman have of any kind of justice?
There is an overwhelming amount of shame and fear that comes with sexual abuse. We are afraid to speak out, and afraid that we won’t be believed. How do you think Christian Porter’s performance in the media has made thousands of victims feel? He has now perpetuated the stigma around sexual assault and potentially silenced and triggered women around the nation.
To every woman struggling right now – we hear you. We believe you. Please do not give up hope.
Silence will not save us. Speak out and sign the petition supporting the need for an independent inquiry into the culture in parliament and the public service.