<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>327214</docID> <postdate>2024-08-21 09:09:04</postdate> <headline>Reynolds ‘brought to her knees’ by Higgins saga: Ruston</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-327215" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240802179056435374-original-resized-e1724195119467.jpg" alt="" width="881" height="588" /></p> <caption>The allegations had a profound effect on Linda Reynolds' mental health, senator Anne Ruston said. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Aaron Bunch</strong> in Perth</span></p> <p><strong>Relentless political attacks over Brittany Higgins' rape cover-up claim brought Linda Reynolds to her knees and she is struggling to recover, fellow senator Anne Ruston has told a defamation trial.</strong></p> <p>Senator Reynolds is suing her former staffer Ms Higgins - who is defending the claim - over a series of social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she believes damaged her reputation.</p> <p>Senator Ruston told the Perth court the political firestorm that followed Ms Higgins' accusations in 2021 about her rape being mishandled by the Morrison government injured Senator Reynolds greatly.</p> <p>"Over a period of a number of days, probably a couple of weeks, maybe longer, there was just a sustained attack in the media, in the (Senate) chamber, in the parliament, on social media, just a relentless attack on her credibility, her integrity," she told the West Australian Supreme Court on Tuesday.</p> <p>"The allegations made about her I know she found quite horrifying because they were just so far from the truth.</p> <p>"It had a really profound effect on Linda's mental health, which then subsequently had an impact on her physical health and I saw a very strong woman brought to her knees."</p> <p>"I've seen the journey of somebody who... had a massive event that had a big impact on her life... somebody who has never really recovered," she said.</p> <p>"I've seen someone who was strong try to rebuild her life but Linda I would say was certainly physically, if not mentally, damaged by the events at the time."</p> <p>Senator Reynolds' friend of more than 20 years Kate Schulze said Ms Higgins' allegations in 2021 left her horrified.</p> <p>"It was a political hit job... a complete fabrication," she said.</p> <p>Ms Schulze said the senator was in "disbelief" that she was being accused of covering up a rape in her ministerial suite.</p> <p>"It became abundantly clear that this was not just... public debate and what the (Labor Party) was doing in the Senate and what was being pushed along behind the scenes was an orchestrated job," she said.</p> <p>Ms Schulze said the senator became increasingly distressed.</p> <p>"She was not fighting on a fair playing field," she said.</p> <p>In the wake of Senator Reynold's former chief of staff Fiona Brown being excused from giving evidence, Justice Paul Tottle granted Ms Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young's application to call former deputy Australian Federal Police commissioner Leanne Close to give evidence.</p> <p>Ms Young said Ms Close could provide evidence about a meeting between the officer and the senator in the days after Ms Higgins' alleged rape in the absence of Ms Brown.</p> <p>The trial continues on Wednesday, with evidence from journalist Samantha Maiden, who the court was told will attempt to have a lawyer represent her in court, which is set to be opposed.</p> <p>https://citynews.com.au/2024/brittanys-big-surprise-was-no-surprise-it-was-hiding-in-plain-sight/</p> </body>