[ad_1]
Public opinion in the country is shocked to see a major political scandal unfold following accusations by a former government official that she was raped inside a ministerial office in Parliament.
Brittany Higgins, who worked for Linda Reynolds, then Defense Industry Minister and now Defense Minister, in 2019 complained that she was raped by a colleague in the Minister’s office in Parliament after a night of drinking with other colleagues from F Party. A colleague offered to drive her home, but took her to Parliament, where he raped her while she was unconscious.
Speaking to Australian media, Higgins said that after reporting her rape to a superior, she was invited to attend a formal hearing on the incident, in the same room.
He added that he did not speak then and instead requested a transfer to another position, but a few days ago he resigned and returned the complaints.
The government had initially backed Higgins’s superiors, saying they had been encouraged to file a lawsuit and would support it whatever their decision. However, an Australian official admitted that the choice of the venue for the meeting was incorrect.
However, the scandal escalated and sparked protests across the country, forcing Prime Minister Scott Morrison to turn 180 degrees and publicly apologize.
“It just shouldn’t have happened.” And I apologize, “he told reporters in Canberra.
Morrison explained that after discussing the matter with his wife last Monday night, he realized that it was necessary to strengthen the response to the scandal and announced that he was investigating how the allegations of sexual assault were being made. Another on the culture of working within parliament.
“Professional settings where young women find themselves in situations where they are so vulnerable should not exist,” she said.
Higgins thanked the head of government for the apology, but added that the media should be mobilized to decide whether to carry out an investigation.
