Brittany Higgins breaks her silence over Bruce Lehrmann suing media outlets – as he accuses Channel 10 and Lisa Wilkinson of ‘reckless indifference to the truth’
- Lehrmann suing media outlets for defamation
- Higgins said she will ‘defend truth as witness’
- She alleged she was raped by Lehrmann in 2019
Brittany Higgins has said she is willing to testify for media outlets after the man she accused of rape sued Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation in the Federal Court.
Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyers, defamation specialists Mark O’Brien Legal, lodged statements of claim initiating legal action against the media giants on Tuesday. Both news outlets had first detailed Ms Higgins’ allegations of rape.
Mr Lehrmann is taking legal action against Channel 10 over an interview aired on The Project in February 2021 – where Ms Higgins claimed to host Lisa Wilkinson that she was raped by ‘a male colleague’ in Parliament House in 2019.
Court documents reveal Mr Lehrmann is alleging that Wilkinson and Channel 10 were ‘recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity’ when they alleged a man raped Ms Higgins on March 23, 2019.
Mr Lehrmann is also suing News Life Media, an umbrella company of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp Australia, which runs news.com.au, over coverage which featured the same allegations by Ms Higgins.
On the morning after the defamation claims were filed, Ms Higgins re-posted a tweet she shared on December 7 last year when it was first revealed Mr Lehrmann was considering legal action.
She claimed: ‘Following recent developments, I feel the need to make it clear if required I am willing to defend the truth as a witness in any potential civil cases brought about by Mr Lehrmann.’
She re-shared the tweet onto her Instagram and Twitter accounts on Wednesday morning.
In response to one Twitter user who said Ms Higgins already ‘had your chance’, the former Liberal staffer wrote: ‘Appears like I may be gifted another one in a slightly more favourable court’.
Brittany Higgins (pictured left) has said she is willing to ‘defend the truth as a witness’ after the man she accused of raping her filed defamation claims against Channel 10 and news.com.au in the Federal Court
One day after the defamation claims were filed, Ms Higgins re-posted a tweet she shared on December 7 last year when it was first revealed Mr Lehrmann was considering suing for defamation
Mr Lehrmann wasn’t named during the Network 10 interview nor was he publicly identified as Ms Higgins’ alleged rapist until August 2021, when he was formally charged with sexual assault.
Ms Higgins had alleged he raped her inside Parliament House in March, 2019.
Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to the charge and has always maintained his innocence.
He was tried in a month-long hearing in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year, but the case was aborted due to misconduct by a jury member.
The charge against him was then was dropped by the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC in November amid fears a second trial would negatively affect Ms Higgins’ mental health.
A source close to the former ministerial staffer previously said Mr Lehrmann will claim he was not contacted for comment before the Channel 10 interview went to air.
Channel 10 denied that claim and said comment was sought, but they did not receive a response.
Bruce Lehrmann’s (pictured) lawyers, defamation specialists Mark O’Brien Legal, lodged statements of claim initiating legal action against Channel 10 and news.com.au on Tuesday
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