Brittany Higgins feels as if she can “breathe again” after Bruce Lehrmann lost his high-profile appeal against a defamation decision that found he raped her.
The disgraced former Liberal staffer had sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over an interview with Brittany Higgins on The Project in 2021 in which she claimed she had been raped.
Justice Michael Lee found in April 2024 that Lehrmann had, on the balance of probabilities, raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 after a night out.
The finding was upheld by the full court of the Federal Court on Wednesday.
Ms Higgins expressed her relief at the decision in a statement on social media.
“Finally, it feels like I can breathe again,” she posted on Instagram, thanking the court for its decision.
“While on the face of it this was a defamation case against a media outlet, in reality this was once again a rape trial.
“I cannot begin to tell you how retraumatising it is to have your rapist weaponise the legal system against you for daring to speak out.
“Sadly, this isn’t uncommon. It’s a legal tactic that is being increasingly used around the world by perpetrators in a bid to sue victim-survivors into silence as a direct response to the #MeToo movement.”
Lehrmann has always denied he sexually assaulted Ms Higgins, and a criminal case against him in 2022 was abandoned without any findings.
He did not appear in court on Wednesday and was represented by lawyer Zali Burrows, who said he was “overwhelmed” by the decision and was seeking advice on applying for special leave to contest the decision in the High Court.
Lehrmann was directed to pay $2 million in damages after his initial defamation loss, and he must now also foot the bill for the legal costs of his opponents during his unsuccessful appeal.
The 30-year-old faces court again on Thursday, this time in Hobart, over car theft charges.
Lehrmann has denied stealing a Toyota Prado at remote Mountain River in southern Tasmania on November 20, 2024.
A warrant was produced for Lehrmann’s arrest on November 6 after he failed to appear before Hobart Magistrates Court for a preliminary hearing.
While the warrant remained inert, magistrate Robert Webster warned it could be issued if Lehrmann failed to face court on the next occasion and produce a medical certificate excusing his absence.
Lehrmann had been unable to appear in court “due to urgent medical issues slash tests,” Ms Burrows told the court at the time.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
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