In a recent defamation case in Australia, former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been ruled by a judge to have raped his colleague Brittany Higgins in 2019. The criminal trial over the claim had collapsed in 2022 and a retrial was abandoned due to concerns for Higgins’ mental health. Lehrmann filed a defamation claim against Network Ten, which aired an interview with Higgins in 2021, but the claim was dismissed by Justice Michael Lee of Australia’s Federal Court. The judge found that Lehrmann had raped Higgins and told deliberate lies.
The Network Ten interview did not name Lehrmann directly, but he was identified based on other details in the program. The judge compared Lehrmann’s decision to file the defamation case to “coming back for his hat” after escaping a difficult situation. A ruling on legal costs, estimated to be in the millions of dollars, will be made later this month. Network Ten praised the judgment as a triumph for truth.
Lehrmann, who has consistently denied the allegations, made no comment as he left the court. In the criminal trial, he had pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent. The ruling by Justice Lee in the defamation case signifies a victory for Higgins and a step towards accountability for Lehrmann’s actions. The case has brought attention to issues of sexual assault in political environments and the challenges faced by survivors seeking justice.
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Photo credit news.sky.com
