Brittany Higgins: High-profile Australian rape case dropped due to fears over accuser’s mental health

Sydney, Australia
CNN
—

Prosecutors in Australia have ended high-profile legal action against a former government employee accused of raping a colleague inside Parliament House, saying a retrial would pose “a worthy risk”. telling and unacceptable” to a woman’s life.

Shane Drumgold, director of public prosecutions for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), told reporters on Friday that the risk to Brittany Higgins’ mental health must come before the need to solve the case.

Higgins, a former federal government employee, alleges that she raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the office of then-Australian defense minister in 2019.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to having sex without consent and asserted that he never had intercourse with Higgins, consensual or otherwise.

The fee has now been reduced.

Drumgold said he has received “compelling evidence” from two independent medical experts that “the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution poses a substantial and unacceptable risk” to life. life of Higgins.

“The evidence clearly shows that this is not limited to the harms of presenting evidence in the witness box,” he said.

The case went to trial in Canberra in October, but the judge ordered a retrial due to jury misconduct. The retrial is scheduled for February 2023.

However, Drumgold told reporters Friday that the retrial is no longer of public interest.

“This leaves me with no choice but to submit a notice refusing to proceed with a rehearing of the matter, which I did this morning. This brings the prosecution to an end,” Drumgold said.

Higgins is currently in hospital, according to a statement from her friend Emma Webster on Friday.

“The past few years have been difficult and relentless,” Webster said. “Brittany is incredibly grateful for all the support she has received, especially from our mental health staff.”

In the original trial, the judge dismissed the 12-member jury that was discussing the rape verdict after revealing that a jury had studied the charges and put that information into the jury room. group.

Higgins alleges Lehrmann raped her in 2019 after the two shared a taxi to Parliament House after a night out with colleagues in the capital.

Higgins went to police shortly after the alleged incident but did not make a formal complaint, citing concerns that taking the matter further could damage her career.

But in 2021, she spoke to the media and the case made headlines, not only because of the location of the alleged assault, but also because of Higgins’ claims that she was discouraged from showing up to avoid political consequences ahead of the 2019 election.

Lehrmann was arrested and charged last year but the trial was delayed, in part due to concerns that the publicity surrounding the case meant he would not get a fair trial.