Brittany Higgins has acknowledged in front of a jury that she was ‘obviously incorrect’ when she claimed that she hid the garment in which she was allegedly raped for six months beneath her bed.
During the rape trial of her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann on Thursday, the former political staffer was faced with a picture of her wearing the white cocktail dress to a birthday party, some two months after the alleged occurrence.
Ms. Higgins testified earlier in the day during Lehrmann’s ACT Supreme Court rape trial that she kept the dress she was wearing that evening “untouched and uncleaned” for six months beneath her bed.
She told the jury that she “very symbolically cleaned the clothing” after realizing she couldn’t report the alleged attack to Defense Minister Linda Reynolds without risking her career.
She said, “I wore it once more, but I never wore it again after that.”
However, Ms. Higgins was shown a picture of herself wearing the identical outfit in May 2019 at Ms. Reynolds’ birthday celebration in Perth while being cross-examined by Lehrmann’s attorney Steven Whybrow.
Ms. Higgins confessed she had made an error in her sequence of events but denied lying when questioned by Lehrmann’s attorney Steven Whybrow.
She was informed by Mr. Whybrow that she left for Perth on April 13, not the six months she had previously stated, and that the dress had only been beneath her bed for a few weeks.
In her testimony to the court, she said, “It remained beneath my bed for a while.”
I obviously misspoke when I mentioned “six months,” although it did remain beneath my bed for a while.
He inquired as to whether it would have been challenging for her to wear that garment once again, and Ms. Higgins said, “I was recovering my agency when I brought it to Perth.”
“I never wore this dress again after that,” she said, “because the worst thing that could have happened to me in this dress did.
It may seem absurd, yet it is the case.
The court had previously been informed that Ms. Higgins had texted her father to inform him that a coworker had been “inappropriate” after her claimed rape by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann in a parliamentary office.
Four days after Lehrmann allegedly sexually attacked Ms. Higgins in March 2019, Ms. Higgins messaged her father, whom she refers to as Papa Bear. She reported a “incident with a person at work” to her father.
However, she did not make it clear in the writings to whom or what she was alluding. The notes were said aloud during Lehrmann’s rape trial on Thursday in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury.
To one count of engaging in sexual activity without consent, Lehrmann has entered a not guilty plea.
In her testimony to the court, Ms. Higgins said that while she “wanted to inform my dad,” she “didn’t want to put it in writing or by text because I was afraid about the repercussions.”
It appears as:
After the alleged event, Ms. Higgins allegedly texted her ex-boyfriend Ben Dillaway to express her want for the claims to remain private: The only thing she truly wanted was for this to remain a secret and remain unknown to the public.
The jury was given emails that Mr. Lehrmann and Ms. Higgins exchanged before and after the alleged rape.
The jury was informed that Ms. Higgins stored her “unwashed” party dress from that evening for six months beneath her bed before cleaning it.
As she saw video of herself and Lehrmann arriving to Parliament House on the night she claims she was raped, Ms. Higgins sobbed in court.
Three days after the alleged assault, on March 25, Ms. Higgins allegedly got a message from her father saying, “I had a good weekend Friday night.”
The next day, Ms. Higgins said, “That sounds very great, and I’m really envious.” It would be absurd to spend time alone. Bring a jacket since Canberra is getting cold.
She said, “I’m alright, but just wanted to let you know there was an incident with a person at work being inappropriate. Can’t provide specifics at this time.
I’m always here, and I’m an excellent listener, her father retorted.
Ms. Higgins told the court that while she wanted to notify her father, she was worried about the “implications” and decided not to put it in writing or a text.
Instead, the court heard that she spoke to her father about the alleged assault before giving him a weather update for Canberra during that phone conversation.
Ms. Higgins sobbed in court earlier on Thursday as the case focused on the moment the two arrived to Parliament House the night of the alleged attack.
Ms. Higgins, now 27 years old, and Mr. Lehrmann were shown on camera passing through metal detectors twice and removing her black stilettos on that March 2019 evening.
When the jurors saw the video, Ms. Higgins started crying.
Ms. Higgins said when seated in the witness box that she couldn’t recall “any of it.”
Ms. Higgins, who the court had heard was “Schoolies drunk” that night, was shown on camera struggling to fasten her shoes after passing through security once again.
She then reportedly carried her shoes in her hand while walking barefoot in a white party dress around the hallways.
Ms. Higgins was also given images of the office setting, including the grey leather sofa, earlier in the day.
The sofa was placed close to an Australian flag and Ms. Reynolds’ former desk. As the photographs were shown, she managed to remain composed.
She explained how she was positioned on the sofa during the alleged rape, but her voice quivered as she spoke.
Ms. Higgins said in court that she was facing the window with her head resting on a decorative cushion.
I was squeezed into the couch’s corner. She claimed, “My head was just there, between the head rest and the arm rest.
When asked where her legs were, Ms. Higgins responded, “Spread open,” to the prosecutor.
My other leg was bent and open, so I was totally exposed. My left leg was jammed down between his knee and the sofa.
“I was trapped into the corner like a prop.”
On Thursday, Ms. Higgins showed up in court wearing all black. Her cross-examination by Lehrmann’s attorney is anticipated to start as soon as today.
The trial goes on.