The case of a former political adviser accused of raping a colleague inside Australia’s Parliament House has been thrown out after a juror “misbehaved”.
Bruce Lehrmann, 27, has denied sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins on a government minister’s sofa after a night out in Canberra in 2019.
They say that they did not have sex at all.
But after a 12-day trial and five days of deliberations, the jury was discharged after it emerged that one member had looked at academic research on sexual abuse.
Juries need only reach a verdict on the evidence presented in the courtroom.
Justice Lucy McCallum told the court the research was discovered by a court official during a “routine cleaning” of the jury room.
“There may be no harm done, but that’s not a risk I can take,” the judge said, adding that she had warned the jury at least 17 times before. are
It is not yet clear whether there will be a retrial, but Justice McCallum has set a date in February for the case to proceed.
Before giving her account to police in early 2021, Ms Higgins waived her right to anonymity and went public with her claims in high-profile newspaper and television interviews.
Her allegations were a catalyst for what has come to be known as Australia’s “Me Too moment”, sparking outcry over the safety of women in politics in particular.
Speaking outside court on Thursday, Ms Higgins criticized the justice system and said the trial had suffered.
“I told the truth to the court, no matter how uncomfortable or distasteful it was,” he said. “My life has been publicly scrutinized, open for the world to see.”
Mr Lehrman’s legal team said they were disappointed by the outcome, but said it would be inappropriate to comment further.
He also argued that Ms Higgins’ “prepared speech” outside court could affect future trials, saying he had referred it to police and the court for investigation.
The trial heard that Mr Lehrmann and Miss Higgins worked in the same office – for Linda Reynolds, the then defense secretary. On March 22, 2019, both drank alcohol with colleagues and others.
