Key Points
- Brittany Higgins' alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and Wilkinson, seeking damages over a broadcast in 2021.
- Wilkinson has been questioned over a comment she made about Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds about Higgins' claim..
- Senator Reynolds has vigorously denied covering up the rape allegations.
This article contains references to allegations of rape and sexual assault.
Journalist Lisa Wilkinson thought Liberal senator Linda Reynolds was "lying through her teeth" while responding to a report about her former staffer Brittany Higgins allegedly being raped in her office, hours before Network Ten aired a program about it.
Wilkinson messaged a colleague as Reynolds was asked in Senate question time about meeting with Higgins in the same office where she was allegedly raped.
"I was not aware of the details or the circumstances of the alleged incident in my office. Had I known, I would have conducted the meeting elsewhere," Senator Reynolds told parliament on 15 February, 2021.
Ten aired an interview on The Project that night with Brittany Higgins, which did not name Bruce Lehrmann as the former colleague she alleged sexually assaulted her in Parliament House.
Higgins alleged Lehrmann pinned her down and raped her on Senator Reynolds' office couch in March 2019. He has always denied the allegation, saying no sexual contact occurred, and is suing Ten and Wilkinson for defamation.
While grilling Ten producer Angus Llewellyn and Wilkinson this week, Lehrmann's lawyers suggested the report was poorly researched and Higgins' claims were believed without proper scrutiny.
Matthew Richardson SC asked Wilkinson on Friday why she messaged Llewellyn that Senator Reynolds was "lying through her teeth" as she addressed the Senate.
Linda Reynolds was Higgins' boss at the time of the alleged rape. Source: AAP
"I believe Senator Reynolds misled parliament," she told the court.
Senator Reynolds has vigorously denied covering up the rape allegations and said she had been the target of unwarranted criticism and abuse since the scandal became public.
The accuracy and truth of The Project's report came under further attack as Wilkinson returned to the Federal Court witness box on Friday.
The theme of the program and most of its time was devoted to exposing alleged inadequacies in how Higgins' allegations were managed, Ten's barrister Matthew Collins earlier told the trial.
Richardson said on Friday the opening of the program describing a woman who was forced to choose between her career and justice was "completely inconsistent" with a statement provided by the government.
That response said Higgins was told there would be no impact on her career as a result of pursuing the allegation.
Wilkinson said the statement "read like a very official response to a very difficult political situation" and she believed Higgins' career would be impacted by a police investigation.
"She would be seen as a liability," Wilkinson told the court.
Matthew Richardson (left) suggested The Project made no genuine effort to get a response from Bruce Lehrmann. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
But Wilkinson told the court she did not write the introduction to the program Richardson asked about.
The journalist said she was drafting questions on the afternoon of broadcast in the hope Lehrmann would agree to a last-minute interview. Attempts had been made to contact him on the previous Friday afternoon with a deadline of 10am Monday.
"I believed 80 hours before broadcast to be a very fair and reasonable time for Mr Lehrmann to respond to us," Wilkinson said.
Richardson suggested The Project made no genuine effort to get a response from Lehrmann.
"You were going through the motions … just to cover yourself off for defamation," he said. Wilkinson disagreed.
She was excused from the witness box on Friday afternoon before the court turned its attention to raw footage of Higgins' interview with Ten.
Lehrmann was charged in August 2021 with raping Higgins, but his trial in the ACT Supreme Court was derailed by juror misconduct.
Prosecutors did not seek a second trial, citing concerns for Higgins' mental health. Lehrmann has always asserted his innocence, and no finding has been made against him in relation to the allegations.
If this story has raised any issues for you, help is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14.
If you or someone you know wants to talk about sexual assault or harassment, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au
In an emergency, call 000.
