<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>326355</docID> <postdate>2024-08-13 14:58:21</postdate> <headline>Morrison defends Reynolds’ handling of Higgins’ rape</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-326363" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Morrison-and-Renolds.jpg" alt="" width="846" height="564" /></p> <caption>Scott Morrison will testify in proceedings brought by Linda Reynolds against Brittany Higgins. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Aaron Bunch</strong> in Perth</span></p> <div class="wire-column__preview__text" id="preview-body"> <p><strong>Former prime minister Scott Morrison has defended Senator Linda Reynolds' handling of Brittany Higgins' alleged rape, while he gave evidence at a defamation trial.</strong></p> <p>Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins for defamation over a series of social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she believes damaged her reputation.</p> <p>Mr Morrison told the Perth court on Tuesday that support had been provided to Ms Higgins after her alleged rape in 2019 in the senator's ministerial office, but the parliamentary processes had failed.</p> <p>"I believe that they had done everything they possibly could within the processes they had to support Ms Higgins," he told the Western Australian Supreme Court via video-link.</p> <p>"Ultimately those processes have failed and she felt the way that she felt, and that has never been in dispute."</p> <p>Mr Morrison said processes were later improved to provide complainants with access to independent and confidential counselling.</p> <p>"That's where I saw the great weakness in the system ... that obviously let Ms Higgins down, but it also let down Minister Reynolds and her staff in seeking to deal with this issue," he said.</p> <p>"Everyone wanted to see this issue dealt with at that time."</p> <p>Asked if he was disappointed that he wasn't told about the rape allegation until 2021, Mr Morrison said: "Yes, initially I was but as events transpired, Senator Reynolds chose not to do that ... out of respect for the confidence that they'd entered into with Ms Higgins".</p> <p>Mr Morrison said he learned about the incident and the security breach that led to Ms Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann being in Senator Reynolds' office on the same day the former staffer's allegations about mishandling the incident became public.</p> <p>"I undertook a series of briefings ... through my staff ... and sought to bring myself up to date as I prepared to face questions in the parliament," he said.</p> <p>Mr Morrison described the political firestorm that followed as "aggressive" and "co-ordinated", agreeing Senator Reynolds was "attacked".</p> <p>"It was intending to discredit her," he said.</p> <p>"It was the weaponising of this issue for political purposes to discredit both Senator Reynolds ... and the government, and by extension myself."</p> <p>Asked about what was alleged during the attack, Mr Morrison said: "(That) the government was involved in the cover-up of this issue, which was completely and utterly false, without any foundation."</p> <p>The former Liberal leader recalled the effect on Senator Reynolds, who he described as a friend for over 20 years, saying she was suffering significant anguish.</p> <p>"I went and saw Linda immediately after question time ... she was sitting in the Whip's office in a very distressed state.</p> <p>"I provided her comfort as a friend but also as her prime minister and leader, and expressed my strong support for her."</p> <p>Mr Morrison said the senator was experiencing physical and mental symptoms, and that it was distressing to witness.</p> <p>"She was quite visibly, physically stressed and in a highly fragile emotional state at that point," he said.</p> <p>"I was unaware of her cardiac condition. This was brought to my attention with her permission sometime later and that only deepened my concern.</p> <p>"I remember for a period there we were very fearful for Senator Reynolds this could be a fatal outcome for her."</p> <p>Lehrmann has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.</p> <p>Ms Higgins is due to leave her home in France to testify in court later in August.</p> </div> </body>