EXCLUSIVE: Alleged Parliament House rapist, Bruce Lehrmann, has been charged today over the sexual assault of former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins. Serkan Ozturk reports.
26-year-old former Liberal Party “rising star”, Bruce Lehrmann, has been charged today over the rape of one-time Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins.
Police allege Lehrmann committed rape by having sexual intercourse without consent in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019.
True Crime News Weekly was the first media outlet to publicly identify Lehrmann as the prime suspect back in mid-February, almost six months ago.
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It is believed Lehrmann checked himself into a private mental health ward at a north shore Sydney hospital for at least one month, almost immediately after True Crime News Weekly named him.
It is unclear where else Lehrmann may have been bunkering down for the past few months as the Federal Police investigated.
Lehrmann was initially allowed to quietly resign from his position with the Liberal Party within days of the alleged rape before being parachuted into a cushy corporate lobbyist job.
Ms Higgins has previously publicly said she was unconscious during at least parts of the alleged rape which took place in the office of then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.
It has been alleged that a two-year-long cover-up of the incident then took place with the knowledge of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The alleged rape occurred in the lead-up to the 2019 federal election which Morrison was desperate not to lose.
Lehrmann has not been arrested, with Federal Police instead today serving a summons on the legal representative for the former hotshot political adviser.
We guess that’s a privilege afforded to alleged sexual predators, who may be elite or upper-class.
We also note the timing of the charges coming late on a Friday afternoon, the time and day which governments and authorities usually choose to dump ‘bad news’.
Bruce Lehrmann listed to appear at the ACT Magistrates Court on September 16. His name has not been legally suppressed. (Image: ACT Courts / Supplied)
True Crime News Weekly has previously reported Mr Lehrmann was quite well connected within the Liberal Party and being groomed for a major role in politics.
Lehrmann was one of the persons thanked by the outgoing Attorney-General George Brandis during his valedictory speech given to Parliament in February 2018, just about a year before Mr Lehrmann himself would resign.
WATCH FORMER ATTORNEY-GENERAL GEORGE BRANDIS THANK BRUCE LEHRMANN IN HIS FINAL SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT IN 2018
Lehrmann is expected to face the ACT Magistrates Court on September 16.
Lehrmann’s name appears on the ACT courts register list, which is publicly available to view online by anyone in Australia, and unlike many others also appearing at court for the same day, his name is not legally suppressed.
He is facing a maximum penalty of 12 years imprisonment.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, relationship or family violence, call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT. org.au.
It’s sure suppressed on the listing website now. Good capture.
His name is still public on the court listing.
I’d love to know who the suppressed ones are.
He’s a lucky man to be a friend of the Party and the Pentecostal “church” and not a 19year old Tongan rugby player. No arrest. No bail application. The plods dragging their feet for years to give him ervery chance of escape
Now why has Higgins been mute about all this? Secret payoff? Party sqabbles best kept inhouse?