Brittany Higgins makes first public statement since retrial aborted
Brittany Higgins has released a statement addressing the justice system, days after it was confirmed there would no longer be a retrial of the man she accused of raping her, Bruce Lehrmann.
It comes after ACT’s Director of Public Prosecutions said Friday he would not pursue a retrial of Lehrmann, citing the wellbeing and health of alleged victim Higgins.
Shane Drumgold confirmed he had filed a notice Friday morning, bringing the prosecution to an end.
“I have recently received compelling evidence from two independent medical experts that the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution presents a significant and unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant,” he said on Friday.
Higgins accused Lehrmann of sexually assaulting her in the office of then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in Parliament in March 2019.
He has denied the accusation and denied having sex with Higgins.
He pleaded not guilty in his initial trial.
The jury in Lehrmann’s initial trial was discharged over juror misconduct after several days of being unable to reach a verdict.
The retrial date had been set for February 20 next year.
Higgins criticised the “asymmetrical criminal justice system” in her statement, saying she was “required to tell the truth under oath, while he was afforded the choice of staying silent”.
“I was required to tell the truth under oath over a week on the witness stand and was cross examined at length. He was afforded the choice of staying silent in court,” Higgins said.
“My life was publicly scrutinised, open for the world to see. He was not.”
