An Australian senator is suing a former staff member, Brittany Higgins, who alleges she was raped inside Parliament House, for defamation over claims that the politician helped cover up the incident.
Higgins gained international attention in 2021 when she accused a colleague of sexually assaulting her at work and then being pressured by her superiors to remain silent.
The trial, which began on Friday, sees Senator Linda Reynolds arguing that Higgins tarnished her reputation with several social media posts.
However, Higgins defends her accusations that her former boss attempted to “harass” and “silence” her as truthful.
This trial is the latest development in a case that has led to widespread protests, numerous legal battles, and several high-level investigations into the judiciary’s conduct and the culture within parliament.
Bruce Lehrmann, the accused, has consistently denied raping Higgins, and no criminal verdict has been delivered.
Nonetheless, a judge in a separate defamation case earlier this year determined that Lehrmann did rape Higgins, although he described the cover-up accusations as “speculation.”
As she entered the court on Friday, Reynolds stated, “It’s well and truly time for the truth.”
Her lawyer, Martin Bennett, claimed that Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz, concocted a “fictional” narrative involving ostracization, harassment, and threats by the senator. “Every fairy tale needs a villain,” Bennett said in his opening address.
The case traces back to a national television interview in February 2021, in which Higgins said Reynolds, then the defense minister, did not provide adequate support after she disclosed the alleged rape in 2019.
Reynolds contends that the criticism was unfair and that the backlash severely affected her physical and mental health.
Following the public fallout, Higgins accused Reynolds in Instagram and X posts of continuing to “harass” and “silence” her, and of “questionable conduct” during the 2022 criminal trial over the rape allegation.
That trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, and a retrial was abandoned over concerns for Higgins’ mental health.
After multiple failed mediation attempts, the Supreme Court of Western Australia will hear testimony over the next five weeks from numerous high-profile witnesses, including former government ministers and possibly former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Higgins is also expected to testify and be cross-examined about the alleged rape for the third time in as many years.
Higgins did not attend court on Friday, but a spokesperson previously stated that she had to sell her home to fund her case and “defend herself again.”
They added, “The price of speaking out about sexual assault remains unspeakably high.”
Higgins has submitted evidence indicating that Reynolds repeatedly leaked confidential information about her to the press and questioned “the veracity” of the rape claim in an interview, accusing her of stealing a designer jacket.
Reynolds’ legal team, however, has provided text messages and photos they argue contradict Higgins’ claims of mistreatment by the senator.
Source-BBC
