RAPE – AUSTRALIA

Rapist attacks 25 women, teen – and keeps his visa

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 29-May-24

The federal government is continuing to attract scrutiny over Direction 99, which requires the Administrative ­Appeals Tribunal to take into account a foreign-born offender’s ties to Australia in assessing an appeal against the cancellation of their visa. It has been revealed that a serial rapist, a child sex offender and a Chinese national who was in possession of a huge quantity of child pornography are amongst those who have had their visas reinstated due to Direction 99. It has also been disclosed that Immigration Minister Andrew Giles’ own department had warned that about 25 per cent of foreign-born criminals could have the cancellation of their visa overturned via Direction 99.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND AGED CARE, AUSTRALIA. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL

NACC for Higgins compo deal truth

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Original article by Ellie Dudley
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 17-Apr-24

Former NSW judge Anthony Whealy says the $2.445m compensation payout to alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins should be investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Healy says the NACC could not "ignore altogether" the findings of Federal Court judge Michael Lee in Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation case against the Ten Network; Justice Lee found that Higgins had told a number of untruths regarding the alleged incident at Parliament House in March 2019. Former Western Australian judge Kenneth Martin in turn says Justice Lee’s findings mean that the federal government may be able to seek to recover the payout to the former Liberal staffer.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Secret compo: Higgins’ 40 years of lost wages

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Original article by Janet Albrechtsen, Ellie Dudley, Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 15-Jun-23

Details of the former Coalition government’s settlement with Brittany Higgins’ remain confidential, although some media reports have sugggested that her payout was up to $3m. Higgins’ draft statement of claim shows that she had sought more than $2.5m in compensation. The document stated that she had been diagnosed as medically unfit for ­employment and had little prospect of future employment. She was therefore seeking damages for economic loss, including 40 years of foregone income, as well as the loss of a potential future career in politics. Chantille Khoury from Law Partners Personal Injury Lawyers says Higgins’ payout seems "unusually high". Higgins has held several jobs since her alleged rape at Parliament House, including media adviser for the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.

CORPORATES
LAW PARTNERS PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS

Wave of sex crime cases hits federal politics

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-May-21

The Australian Federal Police has received 40 reports of sexual and other misconduct involving federal MPs and their staffers in the wake of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation. AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw has told a Senate estimates hearing that this includes 19 allegations of sex crimes. The AFP has referred 15 cases to state and territory police for assessment, while the AFP is still investigating one complaint. Kershaw has also advised that the Australian Capital Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to receive a brief of evidence in relation to Higgins’ case within weeks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

‘Defies belief’: Brittany Higgins slams lack of action on Parliament complaints process

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Original article by Marion Rae
The New Daily – Page: Online : 25-May-21

The Australian Federal Police is continuing its investigation into the alleged rape of Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office in March 2019. However, despite it being over two years since the alleged rape took place, there is still no action on a process to help Parliament House staff to respond to serious incidents. Higgins has tweeted that it "defies belief" that no changes have been made to security within Parliament House, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison says an independent complaints process will be put in place before the end of 2021.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Two cabinet ministers attended event at which woman alleged Christian Porter raped her

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Original article by Paul Karp, Christopher Knaus, Katharine Murphy, Naaman Zhou
The Guardian – Page: Online : 6-Mar-21

Attorney-General Christian Porter has strenuously denied allegations he sexually assaulted a woman during a 1988 debating competition at the University of Sydney. It has been revealed that current federal Health Minister Greg Hunt attended the event as a member of the University of Melbourne debating team, while Communications Minister Paul Fletcher is understood to have been one of the event’s adjudicators. A spokesperson for Hunt said he had never met the woman in question to the best of his knowledge, while a spokesperson for Fletcher declined to comment.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

PM backs Reynolds despite offensive slur on ex-staffer

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Sharri Markson, Tom Dusevic
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Mar-21

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds faces renewed scrutiny and potential legal action as the fallout from the alleged rape of an ex-staffer continues. The media has reported that Reynolds described Brittany Higgins as a "lying cow" in her office on the same day that the former media adviser publicly revealed that she had been raped by a colleague in March 2019. Higgins’ lawyers has raised the threat of legal action if Reynolds does not publicly withdraw her comment and apologise. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described Reynolds’ comment as ‘inappropriate and wrong’, but stresses that she not referring to Higgins’ rape allegation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Porter’s alleged victim insisted we shut the case: police

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Mar-21

The family of the woman who was allegedly raped by Attorney-General Christian Porter in 1988 has expressed support for an inquiry into the circumstances that led to her death. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has also pushed for an independent inquiry into the allegations against Porter, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there is no precedent for such an inquiry. Meanwhile, New South Wales police say the alleged victim advised that she did not want to make a formal statement on 23 June, citing medical and personal reasons. The woman took her own life the following day.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE FORCE

ABC ignored ‘don’t broadcast’ plea from family of alleged rape victim

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government is under further scrutiny following allegations that a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988. Labor leader Anthony Albanese says Prime Minister Scott Morrison should consider removing the minister concerned until the matter is resolved. Meanwhile, a friend of the alleged victim – who took her own life in mid-2020 – has criticised the ABC for reporting the story, arguing that her family had been through enough. The allegation against the unnamed minister follows revelations that a former government staffer was raped by a colleague in March 2019.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION