Here's a case we've covered before.  GlennSacks.com reader Hari Narayan Singh Khalsa contributed a piece on the story here.  Now the final chapter has been written here (Herald Sun, 7/29/09).

The allegation of rape against Victoria Labor MP Theo Theophanous has been dismissed by the judge.  The claim was a pure fabrication by a woman who thought destroying a man's career and reputation would be a good way to make some money.  Magistrate Peter Reardon called the complainant an "entirely unreliable witness," and said the case against Theophanous lacked "credibility, reliability and truthfulness."

Depending on when you asked her, the "rape" occurred in either 1998 or 2000.  She claimed to have called two girlfriends immediately afterward to tell them what happened, but both said no call took place.  It took her four years (or six, depending on the date of the "crime") to decide to contact the police.  When she did, she and the officer in charge of her case took 15 months to cobble together her statement.  It went through at least 15 drafts before all its inconsistencies were worked out.  In 1994, she'd been convicted of lying about a social security claim.  She'd also falsely accused a former boss of sexual harrassment.

Now, all of that might send up a red flag or two to a police officer blessed with the slightest native skepticism, but not the one in this case.  When asked in court why he swallowed her flagrant lies, Sergeant Doug Smith replied,

“It’s incumbent on us to believe what complainants tell us ... It’s a matter of support. They’re vulnerable.”

Well, that's good to know.  The next time I want to ruin someone's life, I'll remember that.

And that's exactly what's happened.  Senior minister Theo Theophanous has announced his retirement from politics.  His reputation has been destroyed along with any hope he may have had for his career.

But however terrible his ordeal of public villification may have been for Theophanous and his family, there's more to it than the laying to waste of one man.  What this woman did was a blow to Australian democracy.  Theo Theophanous was elected by Victorian voters, presumably because they wanted him to represent their interests.  One woman, who to this day remains anonymous, decided that the will of the people should be set aside.  The law gave her veto power over the most recent election, and she exercised it.

Will charges be brought against her?  Apparently not.  Will she even be named?  Apparently not.

So what this adds up to is a free shot.  She failed in her effort to extort money from Theophanous, but future women can scarcely fail to get the message - taking down a male politician is easy, and with any skill at all could be profitable.  All it takes is a few words, no matter how false, no matter how inherently unbelievable, and presto! he's out of office and ruined.

Like it or not, the facts are clear; any woman any time can do to any male politician what this woman did to Theo Theophanous, and at no risk to herself.

Thanks to David for the heads-up.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 9:57 am and is filed under False Accusations, Legislators/Politicians. You can trackback from your own site.