Australian senator files slander lawsuit against alleged rape victim.
Linda Reynolds disputes that she attempted to intimidate or stifle Brittany Higgins.
Due to allegations that the politician covered it up, an Australian senator is suing a former employee who claims she was raped inside Parliament House for slander.
When Brittany Higgins claimed in 2021 that she had been sexually abused by a coworker at work and that her supervisors had encouraged her to remain silent, the story went viral around the world.
Senator Linda Reynolds is claiming that Ms. Higgins damaged her reputation with a series of social media remarks in a well-publicized trial that starts on Friday.
However, Ms. Higgins is maintaining that it is true that her previous employer attempted to "harass" and "silence" her.
The trial is the most recent development in a case that prompted widespread demonstrations, a series of court cases, and numerous high-level investigations about the culture and behavior of the judiciary in parliament.
No criminal verdict has ever been rendered regarding the accusation against Bruce Lehrmann, who has consistently denied raping Ms. Higgins. In a different defamation lawsuit earlier this year, the judge concluded that Mr. Lehrmann had indeed raped Ms. Higgins, but he dismissed claims of a cover-up as "speculation".
"It's well and truly time for the truth," Ms. Reynolds declared as she entered the courtroom on Friday. Attorney for Ms. Higgins claimed that she and her spouse, David Sharaz, had created a "fictional" narrative about the senator's acts of harassment, ostracism, and threats.
Attorney Martin Bennett began by saying, "Every fairy tale needs a villain." The interview that started the case was broadcast nationally in February 2021; however, the network that carried it is not being sued.
Ms. Higgins claimed in that episode that Ms. Reynolds, the defense minister at the time, failed to provide appropriate support after she revealed the alleged rape in 2019. The senator claims that she suffered a great deal in terms of her physical and emotional health as a result of the unjust criticism she received.
Following the public outcry, Ms. Higgins accused Ms. Reynolds of continuing to "harass" and "silence" her in posts on X and Instagram. Additionally, she charged Ms. Reynolds with "questionable conduct" in 2022 during the criminal trial related to the rape accusation. Due to juror misconduct, the trial was canceled, and a retrial was shelved due to worries about Ms. Higgins' mental state.
Following multiple unsuccessful attempts at mediation, a plethora of prominent witnesses, including former government ministers and possibly the then-prime minister Scott Morrison, will testify before the Supreme Court of Western Australia over the course of the next five weeks.
It is anticipated that Ms. Higgins will testify regarding the alleged rape and face cross-examination for the third time in a row. Although she did not show up in court on Friday, a representative for her previously stated that she was compelled to sell her house in order to get money for her case and "defend herself again".
Speaking up about sexual assault still comes at an unbelievably high cost, they added.
Ms. Higgins has submitted evidence demonstrating that Ms. Reynolds routinely gave the media access to private information about her. The senator, according to her, questioned "the veracity" of the rape claim in an interview, after which she claims the senator accused the staffer of stealing her fancy jacket.
However, Ms. Reynolds' legal team has provided text conversations and images that, in their opinion, refute Ms. Higgins' allegations that the senator mistreated her.
