David Sharaz, Brittany Higgins' fiance, sends flippant tweet about experience of child sex abuse survivor

Child sex abuse victim Sophie Vivian has reacted with dismay to an attempt by Brittany Higgins’ fiance to trivialise her experience.

Sophie Vivian described David Sha­raz’s comments as “absolutely horrible” and a bid to diminish the devastating consequences she and other victims had ­suffered. Picture: John Feder/The Australian

Child sex abuse victim Sophie ­Vivian has reacted with dismay to an attempt by Brittany Higgins’ ­fiance to trivialise her experience, after the former gymnast revealed how her tormentor escaped with a lesser sentence amid the intense focus of prosecutors on Ms Higgins’ rape allegations.

Journalist David Sharaz made the flippant remark on Twitter after The Weekend Australian published the harrowing account of Dr Vivian, one of six victims of serial paedophile Stephen Leonard Mitchell.

Dr Vivian says the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions pressured her to accept a plea deal, which devastated his victims who wanted their abuser prosecuted for all of his crimes, not only the ones he wanted to admit.

The story detailing her experience said: “While the Brittany Higgins/Bruce Lehrmann case was devouring the time, focus and resources of the DPP, the man who violated Sophie and five other young girls negotiated ­himself a deal to escape the most egregious charges against him.”

Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz. Picture: Instagram

Last month Mitchell was ­sentenced to a non-parole period of nine years, after pleading guilty to six counts of child sexual assault between 1994 and 2008.

In the since deleted tweet, Mr Sharaz said: “He [Mitchell] was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court to 13 years and five months’ jail. Doesn’t seem like ‘devouring’ of the ‘time, focus and resources’ of the DPP to me.”

The since deleted tweet by David Sharaz.

Dr Vivian described Mr Sha­raz’s comments as “absolutely horrible” and a bid to diminish the devastating consequences she and Mitchell’s other victims had ­suffered.

She said the question that emerged from her story was what sentence Mitchell would have ­received had the DPP proceeded to a hearing with what investigators ­believed was a water tight case.

“He’ll be out in nine years – do you really think that’s worth ­destroying six women’s lives and God knows how many others? It certainly doesn’t seem that way to me,” she said.

“The ‘devouring of time, focus and resources’ [by the DPP in the Brittany Higgins case] likely meant the difference between a paedophile being back in the community as an old man, or as a very, very old man.

“That might not seem so significant to David Sharaz, but it meant a lot to me, and I reckon it means a lot to all Australian victims of child sexual abuse.”

Mr Sharaz has been a constant presence next to Ms Higgins since she publicly alleged former colleague Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in the early hours of March 23 in 2019 after a night out drinking with ­colleagues.

The high-profile trial against Mr Lehrmann was aborted due to juror misconduct, with ACT DPP Shane Drumgold announcing on December 2 in 2022 he would not pursue a second trial citing concern for Ms Higgins’ mental health.

Dr Vivian attempted to have Mitchell prosecuted for the full gamut of his offending but ­eventually withdrew after a string of prosecutors arrived and left, and her private counselling records were at risk of being ­subpoenaed.

She emailed Mr Drumgold the morning after she withdrew and said: “I no longer believe the DPP is acting in my interests.”

Dr Vivian told The Australian on Sunday that the 13-year sentence Mitchell received was due to the hard work of Australian Federal Police detectives while the DPP had merely knocked time off his sentence.

“I’d also add, the 13-year sentence we got was completely thanks to the AFP, not thanks to the DPP – if anything, all they did was knock time off,” she said.

“It was the brief of evidence that the AFP put together that ­secured that 13 years because that’s what got the guilty plea.

“And everything that happened once the DPP got involved was just knocking time off. I mean, that’s outrageous.”

Mr Sharaz did not respond to a request for comment.