Brisbane, Australia
CNN
—
A extremely expected sexual attack trial started in Australia Tuesday in a case that has raised questions in regards to the tradition within the country’s Parliament and the movements of ministers when the claims emerged.
Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded now not to blame to sexual sex with out consent in terms of the alleged attack of his ex-coworker Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra in March 2019.
The alleged attack was once stated to have taken position within the former protection minister’s workplace, a location that precipitated complaint and questions over safety ranges inside the country’s political hub.
Witnesses are anticipated to incorporate politicians, safety officers and the newshounds who broke the tale in February 2021, when Higgins went public with the allegations.
ACT Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum is presiding over the trial, which is anticipated to ultimate 4 to 6 weeks sooner than a 12-member jury retires to ship its verdict.
The prosecution’s case is being led through the ACT’s director of public prosecutions, who will have to turn out past affordable doubt that Lehrmann acted with out consent. The price of sexual sex with out consent carries a possible jail time period of as much as 12 years.
The trial were time and again not on time, in part because of media observation across the high-profile case that attracted vital press consideration when Higgins got here ahead.
Higgins has since turn into a outstanding recommend for ladies’s rights.
