Here in Aus. at the moment there is a mega controversy raging with our Governer General, Dr. Peter Hollingworth being accused of raping a young woman back in 1965.
Unfortunately, the woman who made the accusations is now dead, having committed suicide a few weeks ago. Her family is continuing with civil actions against Hollingworth, even though he has never been criminally charged with any offence.
What worries me is that now that these allegations have surfaced, there is no way he can ever clear his name. His accuser is dead, so there is no possibility of seeing a resolution no matter whether he is guilty or innocent.
Should the family be allowed to proceed with action given that the alleged victim is no longer able to provide testimony? She had signed an affadavit prior to her death, but is that adequate? How can Hollingworth defend himself? If it can be shown that he was in the town where the alleged offences occured, is that enough to prove his guilt?
I have held a deep respect for Hollingworth for many years. As head of the Brotherhood of St. Laurence, he championed the rights of the disadvantaged and was often outspoken in his denouncement of govt. policies. This of course does not make him innocent of any accusations, and often ‘good men’ have been found to have perpetrated great evils. If he is guilty, I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.
But if he is NOT guilty, how can he now prove it? Because the woman is dead, it seems that the onus of proof is now on Hollingworth to confirm his innocence. And that seems grossly unfair to me.