Brittany Higgins’ fiancé David Sharaz has shared several messages with Australia after Lisa Wilkinson won her defamation case against Bruce Lehrmann.
Federal Court Judge Michael Lee found that Lehrman raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
Her findings come after Lehrmann sued Network Ten and Wilkinson for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Project, where Brittany Higgins claimed he raped her in a Parliament office almost two years earlier.
But Lee ruled in favor of Network 10 on Monday, determining that its reporting was truthful in its allegations against Lehrmann.
Brittany Higgins’ fiancé David Sharaz (pictured right) spoke out after Lisa Wilkinson won her defamation case against Bruce Lehrmann.
“Mr. Lehrmann raped Ms. Higgins,” Judge Lee said, a finding made under the civil court standard – the balance of probabilities – rather than beyond a reasonable doubt, the criminal court standard.
WhatsNew2Day Australia understands Higgins and Sharaz were watching the outcome of the decision from France, after moving to the small town of Lunas in 2023.
Sharaz reposted comments from several women’s rights advocates on social media shortly after the decision was handed down.
One of the messages she shared was from sexual assault survivor and anti-violence advocate Saxon Mullins.
“We can’t forget that to get here we saw how our legal system destroyed a real person,” he said.
‘Family, friends, love life, spelling errors, diaries, texts, photographs, errors. Everything was exposed so that we could judge and separate it. Is this what justice looks like to you?
It also posted comments from ABC presenter Dr Julia Baird, who spoke out against coverage of the case.
‘It is probably a good time to reflect on the devotion and brutality with which prominent journalists and commentators seek to undermine, discredit and destroy women who report or report sexual assault. There has been a lot of harassment disguised as journalism; “It infects,” the publication said.
Along with the two defenders’ posts, Sharaz shared a statement from Network 10.
The statement reads: ‘This ruling is a triumph of truth.
“Judge Lee’s ruling is a vindication of the brave Brittany Higgins who gave a voice to women across the country.”
Outside court, a vindicated Ms Wilkinson said: “Today the federal court has determined that I published a true story about a rape in the office of a federal politician in March 2019.
‘I sincerely hope that the sentence gives strength to women across the country.
“I am also very grateful to have had the benefit of our independent legal team.”
He thanked his lawyer Sue Chrysanthou KC for her “experience and wise advice” which has been a “continued source of strength for me over the past 14 months”.
Lisa Wilkinson smiled and thanked the audience as she won the defamation case Bruce Lehrmann brought against her and Network Ten.
Lisa Wilkinson (right) hugged her lawyer Sue Chrysanthou KC outside the courtroom and thanked her profusely.
Wilkinson also thanked her family, friends and “generous” members of the public who often approach her in tears.
‘Throughout every step of this process, I have been surrounded by the love of my incredibly supportive family.
‘As well as incredibly supportive friends and colleagues. I will never be able to thank you enough.
“I also wanted to express how grateful I am to the public who reached out to me almost every day to express, often through tears, their unwavering support.”
By contrast, Mr. Lehrmann did not say a word as he reviewed the press kit after the ruling.
The former Liberal staffer sat with his head bowed as he listened to the judge’s conclusions.
“He was a 23-year-old man who was cheating on his girlfriend and had just ‘hooked up’ with a woman he found sexually attractive,” Judge Lee said.
Bruce Lehrmann didn’t say a word as he went through the press pack following Judge Lee’s ruling.
“Human experience suggests that what he wanted to happen is not exactly shrouded in mystery.”
The judge said Mr Lehrmann was “determined to have sexual relations with a woman he found sexually attractive, had kissed and touched her passionately… and knew she had lowered his inhibitions”.
“He didn’t care in any way whether Mrs. Higgins understood or consented to what was happening.
Judge Lee found that, contrary to Mr Lehrmann’s evidence, sexual intercourse did occur and that Ms Higgins did not consent.
“I am convinced that there was sexual relations,” the judge stated.
Judge Lee said Mr Lehrmann was “on top” of Ms Higgins and she was unable to get off the sofa.
Had the 28-year-old won his defamation case, he would only have been entitled to a “very modest” amount of $20,000 in damages given the limited nature of any harm caused by Ten’s reporting, the judge said. Read.
Mr. Lehrmann initiated defamation proceedings after criminal proceedings failed. The judge said of that decision: “Having escaped from the lions’ den, Mr. Lehrmann made the mistake of returning for his hat.”
While a speech by Lisa Wilkinson on Logies about The Project segment derailed the criminal proceedings against Lehrmann and denied her the right to a fair trial, this gave her legal team more time to attack Ms Higgins’ allegations.
The criminal proceedings against Lehrmann were abandoned in 2022 without any conclusions being reached against him.
“Having escaped the lion’s den, Mr. Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat,” Judge Lee said.
Judge Lee described both Lehrmann and Ms Higgins as “unreliable historians” in recounting what happened that fateful night.
The judge said Ms Higgins had not told the truth regarding allegations made to Ten in 2021 that members of the then coalition government had tried to silence her by reporting the alleged rape.
Judge found any of Brittany Higgins’ incorrect statements to police in 2019 explainable
But Judge Lee concluded that any incorrect statements made to police in 2019 were not inconsistent with comments made by a genuine victim of sexual assault.
The judge also criticized Ten for his conduct after Wilkinson gave a speech at Logie in which he praised Higgins’ courage just eight days before Lehrmann’s criminal trial.
The judge noted that Ms Wilkinson sought advice but Network Ten failed her by suggesting she make the speech in support of Ms Higgins.
“Diez’s conduct… was grossly inappropriate and unjustifiable.”