Bill Shortens rape probe

[mellie]

Hows it coming long?


http://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/201 ... -old-girl/

Our Main Stream Media don't appear particularly keen to report the details, especially Fairfax.

[AiA in Atlanta]

“Paedos in speedos” always loved the alliteration of that phrase - very well crafted. burnside should have been given a job an an ad agency

[IQS.RLOW]

Burnside should have been struck off the register.

[mellie]

“Paedos in speedos” always loved the alliteration of that phrase - very well crafted. burnside should have been given a job an an ad agency

The majority of the first consonants have to be the same, or same sounding for there to be an alliteration Aia.

Ie... Shorten sells sea shells by the sea shore.

[IQS.RLOW]

Seems Bill is out of step with the party.
The ALP are usually up for raping little boys, not girls.

I guess to a lefty, thats as close as the ALP will come to cleaning up their party.

[mellie]

Seems Bill is out of step with the party.
The ALP are usually up for raping little boys, not girls.

I guess to a lefty, thats as close as the ALP will come to cleaning up their party.

No IQ's... I have it on good word Bill Shorten enjoys the company of much younger woman, (not boy-children) particularly those willing to scoff a bottle of Southern Comfort before the Grand Final.

Did you know he dumped his wife at a football game?

[mellie]

Da good Catholic boy... Is our Bill Shorten...



Shorten (gun-shot) marrying his very pregnant mistress and Former GG's daughter Chloe Bryce.

Deborah Beale/Debbie Beale ....(Shortens estranged wife) who was she again?

A figment of our's and Bill Shortens shorten-term imagination apparently.

[mellie]

Let's discuss the "current" rape probe shall we?

[Rorschach]

Imagine if Tony Abbott had been accused of rape ...
Well for one thing, Skippy would have drowned in his own drool by now.

Imagine if Tony Abbott had been accused of rape ...
Date September 1, 2014 - 7:34AM
Amanda Vanstone

Shorten is kidding himself if he thinks he could have kept this to himself. Being a public figure isn't always easy, as Bill Shorten's recent experience highlights. Apparently his ascension to the position of Leader of the Opposition stirred someone to make an allegation that she was raped by him some 25 years ago when he was 19.

The matter was investigated by police and referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. That office concluded there was insufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution. These are commonly used words that unfortunately leave some doubt in people's minds. It is not really fair because we assume you are innocent until proven guilty, but after an investigation these words leave doubt. The trouble is the investigating team can't act as judge or jury and declare guilt or lack thereof. All they can do is say that there is insufficient evidence to procure a prosecution. It is a messy and regrettable flaw in our system.

The handbag hit squad would be out there fanning the fires with every bit of hatred they could muster.

Allegations of rape can in many cases be extraordinarily difficult for the police to investigate. As Sir William Deane once pointed out, the notion that rape is an easy claim to make is simply ludicrous. Equally, it can be an extraordinarily difficult claim to disprove. It is a very blasé person who sits idly by when circumstances come about which allow them to appear as though they might be guilty.

What would happen if a similar complaint was made against Abbott?

As offensive as it seems, some complainants turn out to be complete liars who fabricate their stories. Others may believe that there was no consent but feel unable to face the consequences of raising their complaint with the police – or perhaps, for whatever reason, after many years, decide to pursue their case. Others may have consented at the time and, facing subsequent regret, again for whatever reason, decide to raise a complaint. In any event it cannot be an easy decision.

There will be cases where consent, or lack thereof, will be clear on the evidence. Regrettably, in others cases it is an extremely difficult issue. The passage of time makes any investigation or prosecution even more difficult. It is even harder for the accused.

Shorten is kidding himself if he thinks he could have kept this to himself. I think his claim that "I could have … but that's not who I am" makes him look a bit silly because nobody I know in politics thinks keeping this under wraps was an option. Indeed, silly might not be the right word. It looks as though, even under the pressure such an investigation and consequent announcement would bring, he was still thinking of how to make himself look good. Let's face it, he's a hustler.

Hindsight is a great thing. Perhaps his advisers would now say a better comment from him would have embodied a manly facing of the stark reality. Something like, "Being a public figure has a price and part of that is that we can't always choose what part of our lives remain out of the public domain. Politics and the media being what they are, I think it best to tell you now, at a time of my choosing rather than at a time chosen by others, that …" Still, it's too late for that reality check now.

There has been a good deal of restraint exercised by both the media and members of Parliament in the lead-up to and since Shorten's wise announcement. It stands in something of a contrast to the frenzy surrounding the apparent revelation that many years ago Tony Abbott had punched a wall very near a woman's face.

That contrast invites us all to speculate what would happen if a similar complaint as was made against Shorten were made against Abbott.

I think I know what would happen: The handbag hit squad would be out there fanning the fires with every bit of hatred they could muster. Does anyone seriously think the media commentary would be as restrained? Even if you backdate the question to when Abbott was opposition leader, you still get the same answer.

Courts have rules of evidence, for very good reason. These rules have been developed over many years and are designed to ensure that judges and juries make the fairest decision possible. The problem is neither we, nor the media, follow any such rules. That means that bits and pieces of information about each of us – parts of the story when there might be many versions, often completely untested – are passed on every day. In normal daily life we call it gossip.

Sadly, some investigative journalists get away with being paid to publish this sort of stuff, irrespective of whether innocent people are damaged along the way. They would say they are only doing their job, working to shine a light on bad things that do happen. When they do in fact shine that light and wrongdoers get their due, we should all cheer. The trouble is that often, in digging to find the dirt and shine the light, they chuck a fair bit of mud.

Shorten has had a rough time of it. He can be grateful for the decency shown all around. Perhaps he will insist the same courtesies are extended by his team on future occasions. But don't hold your breath.

Amanda Vanstone is a columnist for The Age and was a minister in the Howard government.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/imagine-i ... z3C2zGMoOn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Black Orchid]

I can only imagine the conniptions some would have if Abbott had the same allegations aimed at him