Brittany’s alleged rapist now looking for his own day in court
The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins has claimed the ACT director of public prosecutions failed to give him a fair trial.
Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann, accused of raping colleague Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019, is suing media outlets for defamation (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
Bruce Lehrmann faced trial for the alleged rape of Ms Higgins in Parliament House before the proceedings were aborted due to juror misconduct.
Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence, saying no sexual interactions between the pair occurred.
The Australian newspaper on Thursday reported the Liberal staffer lodged a formal complaint against prosecutor Shane Drumgold that alleged he was driven by “political interests”.
An inquiry has been launched into how police and prosecutors handled the investigation and court proceeds. It will be headed by former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff.
Lehrmann’s complaint was reportedly lodged in December and accused Drumgold of professional misconduct for “pursuing the matter through the media”.
“His public behaviour continues to smear my name and the presumption of innocence that is a cornerstone of our justice system and that demands him to uphold,” the complaint said, according to the newspaper.
Lehrmann also accused the director of being “bolstered by political interests”.
Drumgold has separately claimed police pressured him to abandon the trial, raising concerns about political and police conduct in the case.
But the police union brushed off the allegations and said Drumgold’s office had compromised the trial.
The board of inquiry will report to the ACT chief minister by June 30.
