Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized on Tuesday to a former government official who claimed she was raped by a colleague in a minister’s office two years ago. Former employee Brittany Higgins claimed in a television interview on Monday that a colleague had raped her in the office of then Defense Minister Linda Reynolds weeks before the 2019 election and that she was not supported by who needed bosses or other colleagues.
The man she accused, who was not identified, was fired for a security breach by taking Higgins to the minister’s office and leaving her there on a sofa after a night of drinking.
Higgins, who was a media adviser to Reynolds, said he decided not to pursue a police complaint at the time because he felt the pressure that it would affect his job.
She resigned in January of this year and said she plans to reinstate her police complaint.
“I think that resigning is the only thing I can do personally to say that I don’t think anyone else should go through what I went through,” Higgins told Network Ten.
Morrison said Reynolds should not have questioned Higgins about his accusation in the same office where Higgins claimed the rape occurred.
Mick Tsikas / AP
“This shouldn’t have happened and I apologize,” Morrison told reporters.
Reynolds, who is now defense minister, also apologized for raising the issue with Higgins in his office, adding that the minister did not do enough to support the then 24-year-old official.
“I deeply, deeply regret, conducting the meeting in my office where the alleged incident occurred,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds told the Senate that he never gave Higgins the choice between his job and making a police complaint.
Morrison described Higgins’ claim as a warning that is expected to bring about change within Parliament.
“I am shaken because even today, a young woman can find herself in the situation of vulnerability she was in, and not in her life,” said Morrison.
“We have to do more, whether at this place of work or at any other place of work in the country, to ensure that people can work safely in their place and be at their best and do what they are meant to do,” he added.
Morrison appointed government legislator Celia Hammond to work with political parties to investigate Parliament’s culture, improve workplace standards and protect employees.
An automatic reporting obligation to department officials will be established for such an allegation, Morrison said.
Morrison said he first heard about Higgins’ claim on Monday and his office only learned about it last Friday.
The opposition questioned how Morrison could continue to have confidence in Reynolds, since she had not told him about the alleged rape.
“My understanding is that the minister acted in good faith in relation to Britain and sought to support Britain,” replied Morrison.
Higgins released a press release on Tuesday thanking Morrison for his apology.
“The Prime Minister’s announcement of an investigation into culture in the House of Parliament is a welcome first step, although it should have been done a long time ago,” said Higgins.
“I shouldn’t have taken my story, or the story of other victims-survivors on national television, to the Prime Minister – or any member of Parliament – to take action against sexual harassment, assault or intimidation in the workplace,” she added. .
Parliament needed an independent reporting mechanism for employees so that they could make complaints with confidence and confidence, Higgins said.
The Associated Press generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Higgins chose to identify himself in the media.
Opinion polls showed Morrison’s conservative coalition government lost power in the 2019 election, which took place weeks after the alleged rape. But the government narrowly won.