Content Warning: This article touches on the topic of sexual assault which may be triggering for some readers.
Former Liberal Party staffer, Bruce Lehrmann has filed two defamation claims, one against Channel 10 and the other against News Life Media, in the Federal Court for their respective coverage of rape allegations made against him by Brittany Higgins.
On February 15, 2021, in two separate interviews with Lisa Wilksinson for The Project and news.com.au (outlets owned by Channel 10 and News Life Media respectively), Ms Higgins alleged that on March 23, 2019 she was raped inside Parliament House by a “male colleague”.
WATCH: Lisa Wilkinson interviews Brittany Higgins on The Project
Mr Lehrmann was publicly named as the alleged offender Ms Higgins spoke of during these interviews on August 7, 2021, when he was formally charged with sexual intercourse without consent.
The trial for the alleged rape was due to begin in June 2022 but when Lisa Wilkinson won a Logie for her coverage of Ms Higgins’ allegations, she thanked Ms Higgins in her acceptance speech. This led to the trial being delayed as Mr Lehrmann’s lawyers successfully argued Wilkinson’s speech was a potential contempt of court.
Eventually, the trial began on October 4, 2022 and Lehrmann, who says he never had sex with Higgins, entered a not guilty plea.
The high-profile trial became deadlocked on October 25, 2022 after the case’s judge, Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, received a note from the jury that read they were ‘unable to agree’ on a unanimous verdict.
Justice McCallum asked the jury to retire again to see if they could decide on a verdict but on October 27, 2022, the jury was discharged without a verdict after Justice McCallum learned that at least one juror looked at information that was not presented as evidence or relevant material during the trial.
A retrial was scheduled for February 20, 2023, however, on December 2, 2022, it was announced by Shane Drumgold, ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, that the sexual assault charge against Mr Lehrmann would be dropped, due to an “unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant,” Ms Higgins.
Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence, and it’s not unsurprising he has now filed two defamation claims, as he retained Sydney lawyer Mark O’Brien of defamation law firm Mark O’Brien Legal in December.
Next to no details about the two claims have been released yet, although it is known that three documents have been filed in each case including an originating application and a statement of claim.
Ms Higgins has not yet made an official statement about Mr Lehrmann’s defamation claims, although she did post on her Instagram story a screenshot of a Tweet she posted on December 7, 2022. The Tweet reads, “Following recent developments, I feel the need to make it clear [that] if required I am willing to defend the truth as a witness in any potential civil cases brought about by Mr Lehrmann.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website.
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