Last night Kathy Sherriff and Peter Faris QC visited Victoria Police to hand over new material for the Shorten rape investigation.

"The police told me (in August 2014) that if new witnesses were located or other evidence was found, then they would look at reopening my case," Kathy said in a statement last night.

Today Kathy said, "Last night (Peter Faris QC) and I provided (to police) a list of witnesses who could provide further evidence. This list was accepted and attached to an email to an officer who investigated my case in 2014. My mobile contact was provided for this officer to call me".

"I seek an urgent response from police".

Victoria Police said at the conclusion of the 2014 investigation, "Investigating police sought advice from the Office of Public Prosecutions, which advised there was no reasonable prospect of conviction".

We don't know the weight of Kathy's new evidence, but we are all entitled to know that it will be assessed by police and the OPP.  Rape is one of the most serious offences on our criminal statutes.  

We will keep you posted.

Here's the ABC's report at the time of the 2014 decision not to take Kathy's allegations to court:

ENDS

Here' Bill Shorten's 21 August 2014 media release:

THE HON BILL SHORTEN

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG

STATEMENT

***Please check against delivery***

Late last year I learned that a claim had been made about me, going back to when I was nineteen.

It was made on social media, when I was elected Opposition Leader.

I will not go into details, except to say that the allegation was untrue and abhorrent.

The allegation was made by someone I knew briefly at that time.

There is absolutely no basis for the claim.

The claim has now been thoroughly and rigorously investigated by police, as is entirely proper.

I fully cooperated to clear my name. And that is what I have done.

I freely answered all questions the police asked of me.

Now the police investigation has concluded, I can make this statement.

This has been deeply distressing for my family.

I am thankful for the love and support of Chloe, and the support of my staff and parliamentary colleagues.

Others who were aware of the investigation have acted with the utmost integrity by leaving the police to do their job.

The police have now concluded the investigation.

The decision speaks for itself.

It is over. 

I have no intention of making any further comment.

ENDS

And here's a recording of Mr Shorten's public comments about the matter.

I think Peter makes a very good point.

The former head of the National Crime Authority Peter Faris QC has assessed evidence - he says in part:

This is a serious complaint of rape and Kathy is entitled to her day in court as is Shorten.

This case is similar in circumstances to the Pell case where the victim was the only eye-witness.

As we know in that case a conviction was obtained on that evidence.

Kathy is entitled to be heard in a criminal trial and to have a jury decide guilt or innocence.

Peter Faris QC

ENDS

I think the mainstream media has an obligation to report on this, particularly given Mr Faris QC's opinion.

Peter Faris QC is the former head of the National Crime Authority.

I know him well.

He is an eminent barrister and an expert in the criminal law.

I have been corresponding with Kathy for some months.

I believe her allegations against Shorten.

This is Kathy with Peter Faris QC in Melbourne today.

And this is their joint statement.

Statement of Kathy Sherriff

In 1986 I was raped by Bill Shorten. 

I was 16 years old at the time.

At a later point the matter was reported to Victoria Police.

And this is my take on the implications of the guilty verdict against Cardinal George Pell - a jury verdict delivered after only one witness, the complainant, gave evidence against the Cardinal.

Will do my best to get to wifi for comments but expect posts/comments to be light today.

And thanks to reader JS via Facebook for this memory!

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-police-foiled-terror-attacks-assassination-ramadan-11528788

Julie Bishop is known as the Emoji Queen of Twitter.

She has a Twitter audience of 280,000 followers, an audience she accumulated courtesy of the Liberals.

So have a look at her Twitter page where you'd hope to find some ringing endorsements for her successor and the Party which put her there.

https://twitter.com/JulieBishopMP

But there's nothing about the Liberal Party.  Not one jot, not one tittle.

There's a promotion for the Walt Disney company, celebration of her footy team (that's right, she's more loyal to her footy team), stuff for charities she prefers and plenty about Julie Bishop.

And her top item today?  This vacuous piece of nothingness with a really famous guy who's on the television at Channel Nine.

.@CUhlmann from Canberra and @JulieBishopMP from Perth have taken to the busy Sydney roads, talking the election, life after politics, and Tony Abbott! Watch in full 👉 https://t.co/5kQpz2vep0 #9Today pic.twitter.com/oPcBRh6GPl

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 12, 2019

Channel Nine got the guernsey because that's where Bishop will be on election night, as you can tell from this vaso-lens Julie extravaganza which you'll also find on Ms Bishop's Twitter feed.

What are you up to on May 18th? Feel free to join the @9NewsAUS team for election night. We can't wait 🗳 #AusVotes19@JulieBishopMP @AlboMP @tanya_plibersek @PeterOverton @deborah_knight @CUhlmann @Ross_Greenwood pic.twitter.com/x4zGIVJ9ZV

— Brendan Hockings (@bhockings) May 2, 2019

Tony Abbott delivered victory for the Liberals in 2013.

Thanks to Bishop and her ilk, what a waste of 6 years.

Thanks to Samantha Maiden for this.

Somewhere in that scrum is Bill Shorten, who’s getting a rock star reception at Edmund Rice College in Gosford (I bet Labor’s wishing these students were old enough to vote...) #auspol pic.twitter.com/e8pLag8c8T

— Jane Norman (@janeenorman) May 13, 2019

And as Ms Norman was subsequently informed, that's St Joseph's, not Edmund Rice.