Australian court begins trial over alleged rape in government office

ANKARA (AA) - An Australian court began hearing the case of the alleged rape of a former political party staffer, local media said on Wednesday.

Brittany Higgins appeared before the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court jury to record her statement and gave evidence, ABC News reported.

During the hearing, her interviews with police, recorded during an investigation last year, were also played in the court, according to the broadcaster.

Last year, Higgins claimed that she had been sexually assaulted by a senior colleague inside a senior government minister's office in 2019.

After Higgins’ allegations, thousands of women held protests in Australia demanding better protection for women in the workplace. The news also sparked widespread concern and debate about the treatment and harassment of women in the Australian Parliament House.

Later, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized to Higgins for the way her rape complaint was initially handled.

Last year, in a report, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins revealed that one in three people working in parliament had experienced some form of sexual harassment.

The high-profile inquiry into parliament’s workplace culture was done after Higgins’ allegations.

Jenkins said that 37% of respondents had personally experienced bullying, 33% sexual harassment, and 1% attempted sexual assault.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid