Rape case in Parliament: Brittany Higgins asks to reopen police investigation in Australia

Former Liberal Party employee Brittany Higgins called on police to reopen the investigation into her alleged rape in Parliament in 2019.

News.com.au released the story about the alleged rape of the then 24-year-old on Monday, and in the days after, an investigation into work culture was set up at the House of Parliament and several ministers, including the first Minister Scott Morrison said they are “devastated” by the scandal.

“Today I have re-engaged with the Australian Federal Police and will proceed with a formal complaint regarding the crime committed against me in what should be the safest building in Australia,” Higgins said in a statement this afternoon.

“By publicly presenting my experience in Parliament, I have tried to achieve two things.

“First of all, I want a thorough police investigation into what happened to me on March 22 and 23, 2019 and for my attacker to face the full force of the law.

“The Australian Federal Police have assured me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently. I also ask that they handle it in a timely manner. To date, I have waited a long time for justice to be served.”

Second, given my experience, I am determined to push for meaningful reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally.

“I look forward to a truly independent investigation into how my matter was handled within the government, including the offices where I worked and other offices and parties that were aware of my circumstances.

“I think getting to the bottom of what happened to me and how the system failed me is critical to creating a new framework for political staff that ensures genuine cultural change and restores staff trust.

“In addition to an independent investigation into what happened to me, I demand a significant review of the conditions in which ministerial and parliamentary staff are employed and how we can improve.

“Political advisers have very few protections, resources, and confidential reporting mechanisms to address any problems in the workplace. They are not public servants and work in an extremely high pressure environment. Too often, a toxic culture can emerge in the workplace. workplace that allows for inappropriate behavior and this is exacerbated by disparity in power dynamics.

“How ministerial and parliamentary staff are treated is a bipartisan issue that affects staff across the political spectrum and should be treated as such.

“The Prime Minister has repeatedly told Parliament that he should be given ‘agency’ in the future. I don’t think that agency has been provided to me for the past two years, but I take advantage of it now and have informed the Prime Minister’s Office Minister I hope to have a voice in defining the scope and terms of reference for a new and meaningful review of conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff. It is important that the reform is real and drives change beyond dealing with what it happened to me, and how the system let me down.

“From the beginning, I was driven by my desire to ensure that no one else had to go through the trauma that I experienced during my time in Parliament.

“They failed me repeatedly, but now I have my voice, and I am determined to use it to ensure this never happens to another staff member again.

“This has been a very difficult and exhausting week for me, my partner and my family. I ask that my privacy be respected as I now deal with the processes that I have outlined in this statement. I do not intend to move forward. public comment at this time. “

Higgins revealed this week that she was sexually assaulted in Defense Minister Linda Reynolds’ office in March 2019 and felt compelled to choose between her job and taking the matter to the police.

After a night of drinking with colleagues, Higgins alleges that she was assaulted in her own office by another Liberal staff member who she claimed was considered a “rising star” in the party.

The alleged sexual assault occurred in the early hours of March 23, 2019, just weeks before Scott Morrison called the elections on April 10, 2019.

Just a few months away from his “dream job” of working in parliament, Higgins said the night of terror quickly emerged as a crisis to be handled by his successive chiefs of staff, cabinet ministers, and even staff from the prime minister’s office. .

She also revealed that she was taken to a formal employment meeting about the incident in the room where she was allegedly raped; a decision the Morrison government has now accepted was a mistake by then-Defense Industry Minister Senator Reynolds.

An emotional Senator Reynolds burst into tears yesterday and was unable to answer a question after offering an unreserved apology to Higgins in Parliament, saying she was “deeply, deeply sorry.”

The prime minister said this week that there was never a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in his office, but questions remain as to why he was never told, a decision he made clear he disagreed with.

The list of people who knew about the controversy now includes the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the Senate, security officials, bureaucrats from the Department of Parliamentary Services and Senator Reynolds’ chief of staff who now works in the Prime Minister’s office. .

Morrison said his chief of staff, John Kunkel, knew of an “incident” two years ago, but did not learn that it was an alleged violation until news.com.au contacted the office last week.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says she was informed of an “incident” two years ago after the issue threatened to show up in Senate estimates, but she never knew until Higgins quit her job that it involved alleged sexual assault. .

On Wednesday, news.com.au posted voicemail recordings of Senator Cash urging Higgins to “sleep easy” and assuring him that the office had the consequences “under control.” The message was sent in October 2019.

Morrison offered Higgins a personal apology Tuesday morning and announced an investigation into the culture at the House of Parliament. Higgins told news.com.au it was a “welcome first step, albeit a long time ago.”

Higgins said he was saddened to have to expose himself to the public eye to ensure change, adding that he “should not have taken my story, or the story of other victim-survivors, to air on national television for the Prime Minister, or whatever. member”. Parliament: take action against harassment, assault or sexual harassment in the workplace. “

Where to get help:

• If it is an emergency and you think you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
• If you have ever been sexually assaulted or abused and need to speak to someone, call the Confidential Safe to Talk Crisis Helpline at: 0800 044 334 or text 4334 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
• Male survivors Aotearoa offers a variety of confidential support in New Zealand centers; find the closest one here.
• Mosaic – Personal Care: 0800 94 22 94 (available from 11:00 to 20:00)
• Alternatively, contact your local police station
• If you have been abused, remember that it is not your fault.