Prosecutor advises AFP on Brittany Higgins case

The ACT’s top prosecutor has passed on his advice about Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape in Parliament House to the AFP.

Brittany Higgins speaks at the women’s March 4 Justice rally in Canberra. Picture: Supplied

The ACT’s top prosecutor has passed on his advice about Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape in Parliament House to the Australian Federal Police.

Last month Shane Drumgold, the territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions, received a brief of evidence about the former Liberal Party staffer’s case. Ms Higgins’ allegation that she was raped by a male colleague in then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds’s office in 2019 sparked a national reckoning on sexual assault and harassment in the workplace when she went public with her story in February.

A spokeswoman for the DPP said Mr Drumgold had provided his advice to the AFP on Monday, June 28.

“The content of that advice is subject to Legal Professional Privilege, and cannot be disclosed,” she said.

An internal review into parliament’s responses to workplace matters - prompted by Ms Higgins’ alleged assault - recommended the creation of an independent complaints body. MPs from across the political divide have called for the independent body to be given the power to investigate alleged incidents from previous parliaments. But Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has flagged the body will not have retrospective powers to cover past parliaments.

Scott Morrison appointed the department of Prime Minister and Cabinet deputy secretary Stephanie Foster to lead the review. Ms Foster worked with Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, who is also running a separate nine-month independent investigation into parliament’s workplace culture.

The Foster review also recommended the establishment of a serious incident team to deal with allegations of sexual assault.

In a May Senate hearing, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed there had been 19 reports of misconduct, including potential criminal activity, involving parliamentarians and their staff since Ms Higgins came forward with her allegation.