Brittany Higgins supports sexual assault victim in Jarryd Hayne trial

Brittany Higgins has expressed support for the woman who was sexually assaulted by former NRL star Jarryd Hayne.

Brittany Higgins said the woman showed an ‘extraordinary amount of personal strength’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Brittany Higgins has expressed support on social media for the woman who was sexually assaulted by former NRL star Jarryd Hayne in her Newcastle home.

Hayne, 35, was found guilty of two counts of sexually assaulting a woman without her consent by a jury on Tuesday.

The two-time Dally M winner was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman when he performed oral and digital sex on her at her Newcastle home on NRL grand final night in September 2018.

Brittany Higgins has supported the woman who was sexually assaulted by Jarryd Hayne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Higgins, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann at Parliament House in March 2019, shared her reaction to the news Hayne had been found guilty to her Instagram story on Tuesday.

Ms Higgins praised the woman’s ‘bravery’. Picture: Instagram

“Managing to persevere through three trials requires an extraordinary amount of personal strength and bravery,” she wrote.

“I hope today’s outcome affords the victim some resemblance of closure.”

Mr Lehrmann faced an ACT jury in October charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent. He denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The jury was discharged due to juror misconduct.

Bruce Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting Ms Higgins before the charge against him was dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The ACT DPP ultimately dropped the charge against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence and continues to deny sexually assaulting Ms Higgins.

Hayne will be sentenced at a later date. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

This is the third criminal trial against Hayne over the same allegations.

The first was in Newcastle in 2020 and ended in a hung jury.

Hayne was convicted in the second trial but appealed the decision and his convictions were overturned.

The third lengthy Hayne retrial accepted the woman’s evidence that she refused to consent to the sexual acts after she discovered Hayne had a taxi waiting outside to take him back to Sydney.

He caused two lacerations on the woman’s vagina and substantial bleeding during the fleeting encounter.

He could be facing prison and will be sentenced at a later date.