Brittany Higgins is a rape victim who publicly claimed in March 2019 that she was raped by a male colleague within the ministerial office of her employer, then-Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds.
The trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting Higgins inside Parliament House got delayed due to Lisa Wilkinson’s “ill-advised” Logie Awards comments.
What Happened With Brittany Higgins Inside The Ministerial Office? Wikipedia Bio
Brittany Higgins told two media outlets that she got raped late at night on March 22, 2019. It happened in then-Defence Industry Minister Senator Linda Reynolds’ office in Parliament House’s ministerial wing by an unnamed male colleague after security guards let the pair in.
Brittany said she became severely intoxicated at a work party and boarded a cab with a colleague, expecting to be dropped off at their separate houses; instead, she was transported to Parliament House and raped while sliding in and out of consciousness.
In the early morning hours, Higgins was discovered half-naked, intoxicated, and bewildered in the minister’s office.
Brittany’s boss at the time, Reynolds, terminated the accused assailant on March 26, 2019, four days after the alleged rape, for a “security violation,” not the alleged criminal behavior.
She accused Reynolds of abandoning her because the event was politically controversial in an election year. She reported the rape to police but left the case in April 2019, fearing that the allegation would result in her job being terminated.
Brittany Higgins Suspect Trial Delayed By Lisa Wilkinson’s Speech
The trial got further delayed in June 2022 because the court warned that the boundary between allegation and judgment of guilt had been “obliterated” in Lisa Wilkinson’s victory speech at the Logie Awards in 2022 and discussion after the speech.
Lisa met with Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold on June 15 to discuss the evidence she would present during the trial, according to Justice McCallum. Lisa said during the conference that she had been nominated for a Logie for her reporting on Higgins’ claim on The Project last year.
The TV journalist was told not to remark publicly on Brittany’s case because it may cause the trial to be postponed. Despite the warning, Lisa entered the stage after being named Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report.
On Tuesday, Justice McCallum told the court that the statement and subsequent publicity had left her with no choice except to delay the trial. According to Matthew Collins, President of the Australian Bar Association, Lisa might be probed and suffer legal implications.
Brittany Higgins Partner David Saraz Response In Her Case
Brittany Higgins’ partner is David Sharaz, a journalist and former public worker. David has criticized a study that failed to establish the prime minister’s office informed against him and has vowed that he and Brittany would not be intimidated or silenced.
After Morrison’s chief of staff found he was “not in a position to conclude that the claimed action occurred,” Sharaz described the report by John Kunkel as an exercise in “PMO personnel defending themselves.”
David told the Guardian Australia that the prime minister’s chief of staff had conducted “an examination of his own office and finds it to be running properly.”
“The fact that those claims have been made serves as an essential reminder of the necessity for [the prime minister’s] personnel to hold themselves to the highest standards,” Higgins’ partner said.
Sharaz accused Labor of criticizing the administration for not publishing the report and then criticizing it for doing so.