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Ex-senator Linda Reynolds has been awarded $315,000 damages with a judge finding alleged sexual assault victim Brittany Higgins defamed her in social media posts.
Higgins’ former boss Reynolds launched a defamation lawsuit over a series of social media posts that the ex-defence minister believed damaged her reputation.
Western Australian Supreme Court Justice Paul Tottle found on Wednesday that three Instagram and Twitter posts were defamatory and awarded the damages plus $26,109 interest.
Reynolds’ claim over a tweet she alleged implied she was seeking to silence sexual assault victims failed.
Her claim that Higgins and her husband David Sharaz engaged in a conspiracy to injure her also failed.
Reynolds claimed Higgins’ social media posts carried imputations she harassed her former staffer, mishandled her alleged rape and failed to support her, wanted to silence sexual assault victims and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann’s aborted criminal trial.
Higgins’ lawyer Rachael Young said her client was a courageous woman who was sued for speaking up and her motive for doing so was not to harm the senator but to drive workplace reforms and stop anyone else from experiencing what she had gone through.
She said the social media posts were not defamatory because they were true, and any comments Higgins made were her honestly held opinion and protected by qualified privilege.
Higgins was entitled to share her opinions because there was wide public interest, she said.
Higgins did not give evidence at the trial for medical reasons.
Reynolds says she feels ‘vindicated’
Outside court, Reynolds said Justice Tottle had definitively established the truth.
“It is a great relief that my reputation has been finally and fully vindicated,” she told reporters.
“However, it is disappointing that it took four-and-a-half years, multiple court actions and millions of dollars.”
Reynolds said the legal case was never about Higgins’ rape allegation or money.
“This action was always about the dishonest and devastating attack of my reputation,” she said.
“Those lies cost me my reputation. It cost me my health and my career.
“This has been an incredibly emotionally and financially taxing journey but I never gave up on the truth and on seeking justice.”
Higgins used an Instagram post to say she was grateful the case had ended.
“I accept that Linda Reynolds’ feelings were hurt by these events and I am sorry for that,” she wrote.
“I wish her well into the future.”
Higgins alleged she was raped by Lehrmann in the senator’s ministerial suite in March 2019.
A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by Lehrmann in the office.
Lehrmann is appealing that finding.
He has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
