CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses rape.
Former West Australian senator Linda Reynolds has emerged victorious in her high-profile defamation case against former staffer Brittany Higgins, whom she had accused of orchestrating a campaign to sabotage her political career.
The ruling concludes a six-year cycle of allegations and counterclaims between the two women – for the time being – though Higgins may still seek an appeal.
The legal action was initiated by Reynolds in response to social media posts made by Higgins in 2022.
Reacting to the verdict on Instagram, Higgins wrote: “Statement on the Tottle Judgement. I am grateful that this matter has finally reached a conclusion.
“I was 24 years old when I was sexually assaulted in Parliament House. Six years have passed – years marked by challenge, scrutiny, and change. I accept that Linda Reynolds’ feelings were hurt by these events and I am sorry for that. I wish her well into the future.”
She concluded, “Thank you to the Australian public for their compassion and understanding throughout this journey. My family and I now look forward to healing and rebuilding our lives.”
The former senator claimed the posts damaged her reputation and caused significant distress, particularly following a period of ill health.
Higgins had written the posts four years after she was raped in the then-senator’s office by her colleague, Bruce Lehrmann.
Lehrmann has consistently denied raping Higgins, and last week his appeal against Justice Lee’s finding was heard in the Federal Court in Sydney.
In the controversial social media posts, Higgins accused the senator of mishandling her rape allegation, continuing to harass her afterward, and attempting to “silence” sexual assault victims.
On Wednesday morning, Justice Tottle ruled that three of the posts were defamatory. However, one post – a tweet published on July 20, 2022 – was deemed to be based on an honestly held opinion, fair comment, and qualified privilege. No damages were awarded for this post.
For the other defamatory posts, Justice Tottle ordered Higgins to pay Reynolds a total of $315,000, plus $26,000 in interest.
During the trial, Reynolds’ lawyer contended that Higgins had tried to portray his client as the villain in her “fairytale” narrative of political cover-up.
Throughout the defamation proceedings, the senator maintained that she acknowledged Higgins had been raped and had offered the necessary support to the young woman in the days and weeks that followed.
The five-week defamation trial did not concern the alleged rape itself, but rather the posts written years later, after Higgins had publicly discussed her experience in interviews with Channel 10’s The Project and journalist Samantha Maiden. In these interviews, she described feeling unsupported following the assault and claimed she had been compelled to accompany Reynolds on the campaign trail shortly afterward, fearing that her own career would suffer otherwise.
Last year, Justice Michael Lee found that on a balance of probabilities Lehrmann did rape Higgins during a separate defamation case that Lehrmann had brought in the Federal Court against Channel 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. This finding was determined on the balance of probabilities, the civil standard of proof in a civil court matter.
Separate criminal proceedings against Lehrmann, which require proof beyond reasonable doubt, were discontinued due to juror misconduct and concerns for Higgins’ welfare.
Help is available
If you’re in distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or chat online. If it’s an emergency, please call 000.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
The post Brittany Higgins Reacts To Linda Reynolds Defamation Victory With Instagram Statement appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
