Reader Antony wrote to ABC News last week as other media including 2GB were reporting on news about the SHORTEN rape and drug-distribution allegations.

He received a reply from the ABC which is both encouraging and very concerning!

That reply comes to us courtesy of Zoe Walker of the ABC's Darwin office.

The fact that the ABC is aware of the extent of the allegations (courtesy of our reader Antony - now confirmed by Zoe) is encouraging.

The fact that the ABC has declined to report on the developments is profoundly disturbing.

Here are a few of the newsworthy changed circumstances:

• Former National Crime Authority chief Peter Faris QC says there's a prima facie case of rape against Shorten
• Faris QC says police should re-open their files and the OPP should bring Shorten before a court to answer the case
• The complainant, Kathy Sherriff and Faris QC have delivered new evidence to Victoria Police
• Victoria's laws about single complainant sexual offence cases have changed since 2014 when Victoria Police declined to prosecute Shorten
• The Pell verdict of GUILTY on the evidence of a single complainant means the "no reasonable prospect of conviction" opinion about SHORTEN is no longer reliable.

All of this is new and in my judgement newsworthy.  

That the ABC knows about this stuff but declines to report it is newsworthy too - for all the wrong reasons.

#JusticeForKathy