A civil judge has determined that the claim that a young girl was raped inside Australia’s Parliament House is correct after three years of shock to the earth.
Bruce Lehrmann, a social worker, has never denied having intercourse with Brittany Higgins and has sued Network 10 for defamation for an interview she gave in 2021 TV.
The shop defended their account as accurate, which sparked public outcry.
A prosecutor upheld their claim on Monday, finding that Mr. Lehrmann had raped Ms. Higgins and told “deliberate lies.”
A crying Ms. Higgins described in the interview how she discovered a coworker raping her in 2019 while lying on a couch in a minister’s office.
After a night of drinking in Canberra, Mr. Lehrmann claims the pair had shared an Airbnb back to their home before going their separate ways.
Ruling that Mr Lehrmann’s defamation case be thrown out, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said the 28-year-old had been “hellbent” on having intercourse with Ms Higgins and was “recklessly uninterested” to whether she wanted to as well.
” But intent upon enjoyment… [Mr Lehrmann ] went ahead with sexual intercourse without caring whether or not she consented. “
In defamation circumstances, the standard of proof is lower than in criminal cases; a plaintiff must only be able to demonstrate that the claims are more likely than not to be true.
However, this is the first legal ruling in a situation that has captivated and horrified the country for decades.
Ms Higgins ‘ says triggered a historical judgment, protests attended by tens of thousands of people, and a landmark overview into the society of congress.
In 2022, Mr. Lehrmann was acquitted because of jury misbehavior. A lawsuit was afterward abandoned out of issue for Ms Higgins ‘ mental health.
Justice Lee cited his decision to file slander proceedings against Network 10 and reporter Lisa Wilkinson as having “made the mistake of coming up for his hat” having escaped the lion’s den.
Although he claimed that her evidence was” not inconsistent with the conduct of a genuine victim of sexual assault struggling to practice what happened, seeking to manage, and working through her options,” the judge was at times essential of the channel, Ms. Wilkinson, and Ms. Higgins.
He claimed that the Liberal Party, the current government, had tried to refute the claim or put pressure on Ms Higgins was “objectively short on facts, but long on speculation.”
However, he ruled that the evidence supporting the fundamental rape claim had” the ring of truth.”
Overall though, the case has been an “omnishambles”, Justice Lee said.
Judges frequently allow reams of seemingly tangential evidence in defamation trials to help them decide whether or not witnesses are credible or trustworthy.
This trial heard from more than a dozen witnesses over the course of more than five weeks who provided occasionally bizarre evidence.
The court heard testimony from the pair’s lawmakers, their parents, and lip readers that had been flown in from the UK.
In the final moments, it was revealed that another significant television network, Seven, had paid for Mr. Lehrmann’s sex and drug use while pursuing an exclusive interview.
Seven refutes the allegations, but on Monday confirmed that the executive producer of the Spotlight program had left the network after his team’s conduct was exposed.
Speaking outside court, Ms Wilkinson said:” I feel glad for the women of Australia today”.
Justice Lee’s decision, according to Network Ten, was “vindication for the courageous Brittany Higgins who gave a voice to women across the nation.”
This verdict affirms the truth in triumph. “
Mr. Lehrmann, who did not speak as he left the court, will now be held accountable for the millions of dollars in legal costs that both parties have accumulated. At a later time, the precise sum will be determined.