Man at centre of Parliament House rape claim checks into Sydney hospital

The man former Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins accused of raping her in a parliamentary office has checked himself into hospital.

A former senior Liberal staffer at the centre of a rape claim by a young female colleague in the office of Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has checked himself into a Sydney hospital.

Sources confirmed to The Daily Telegraph the man drove to the Royal North Shore Hospital and checked himself in on Wednesday, two days after Brittany Higgins went public alleging she had been raped.

A source said the man had not self harmed, but was concerned and had sought psychiatric care.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is not currently under police investigation and has never been charged.

Brittany Higgins with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

After initially reporting the incident to the Australian Federal Police in April 2019, Ms Higgins has not made a formal complaint and there is currently no active investigation into the allegations.

A Liberal staffer claims she has only become aware of details around her own alleged rape as a result of coming forward publicly and has accused Prime Minister Scott Morriosn of “victim blaming”.

Brittany Higgins has responded to reports security guards at Parliament House had seen the young staffer in a “state of undress” after the alleged incident and debated calling an ambulance.

“I didn’t know that a security guards (sic) came into my office multiple times seeing me in a state of undress,” she said.

“I didn’t know that they debated calling an ambulance at the time of the incident.”

Brittany Higgins.

Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins has alleged she was raped by a senior colleague at Parliament House in 2019.

Ms Higgins accused Mr Morrison of using “continued victim-blaming rhetoric” which was “very distressing” to her.

Ms Higgins released the statement responding to the latest revelations via her partner, who previously worked in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as a public servant for several months in 2020.

“A current senior staffer to the Prime Minister and my former chief-of-staff refused to provide me with access to the CCTV footage from that evening and continually made me feel as if my ongoing employment would be jeopardised if I proceed any further with the matter,” she said in the statement.

“The Government has questions to answer for their own conduct.”

It has been reported by news.com.au that security officers from the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) signed the pair in without security passes and opened the door to then-Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds’s office on the night of the alleged assault.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has apologised to her former staffer Brittany Higgins. Picture: APH via NCA NewsWire

Meanwhile, an independent review of workplace culture in Parliament House will be conducted “at arm’s length” from the government in the wake of the alleged rape.

Mr Morrison on Wednesday evening wrote to Labor leader Anthony Albanese offering to work with him in a “bipartisan way” on “making our National Parliament a safe place for our colleagues and staff”.

“I have written to the Minister for Finance in his role as Special Minister of State, and requested him to coordinate with the Opposition Shadow, leaders of minor parties, and independent Members and Senators in developing this review,” he said in the letter.

“It is my expectation that this review would be conducted at arm’s length of government, consult widely across parliamentarians and their staff, the departments and agencies that support our work, and provide constructive feedback on measures that can be implemented.”

Mr Morrison said he hoped a “consensus” position on the review would be finalised “as soon as possible”.

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