Brisbane riverside city, is the capital of Queensland, eastern Australia
CNN
–
A highly anticipated sexual assault trial has begun in Australia The third in one case raised questions about the culture in the nation’s Parliament and the actions of ministers when statements surfaced.
Former Liberal Party employee Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sex without consent in relation to allegations of assaulting his former colleague Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra in March 2019.
The attack is believed to have taken place at the former defense minister’s office, a location that has sparked criticism and questions about the level of security in the political heart of the nation.
Expected witnesses include politicians, security officials and journalists who broke the story in February 2021, when Higgins made the allegations public.
ACT Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum is presiding over the trial, which is expected to last four to six weeks before the 12-member jury retires to deliver its verdict.
The prosecution’s case is being led by the ACT’s chief prosecutor, who must prove that Lehrmann acted without consent. Sexual intercourse without consent is punishable by up to 12 years in prison.
The trial was repeatedly delayed, in part because the media commentary surrounding the high-profile case attracted considerable press attention when Higgins made it.
Higgins has since become a prominent campaigner for women’s rights.
