Tag: sexual assault allegation

When Scope Creep Meets Dishonest Sexual Assault Allegations

Commentary What brilliant timing. Last month, Senator Lidia Thorpe’s sexual accusations in parliament captivated the media by putting sexual misconduct firmly back on the public agenda, detracting attention from Labor ministers under attack for misleading parliament. The Australian press uniformly took Ms. Thorpe’s allegations seriously, reiterating her claims of  sexual assault even though her own…


Brittany Higgins’ Case Shouldn’t Have Gone to Trial to Begin With, so Why Did It?

Commentary The Brittany Higgins celebrity saga continues with the white dress she wore to a feminist rally being considered an addition to the collection in the Museum of Australian Democracy. But another key player in this circus isn’t doing so well. Only a few months ago, the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) Director of Public Prosecutions…


The Brittany Higgins Case Is Over

Commentary Finally, it appeared the Brittany Higgins case was over when the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shane Drumgold, announced on Dec. 2 that the sexual assault charge against Bruce Lehrmann was to be dropped. Drumgold said the reason was because of an “unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant”…


Sexual Assault Trials of Brittany Higgins Officially Dropped

Prosecutors have abandoned charges against the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins following evidence that extended trials have taken a toll on the former Liberal staffer’s mental health. Higgins, who alleged ex-colleague Bruce Lehrmann raped her inside Parliament House in March 2019, was confirmed to have been admitted to the hospital. ACT Director of Public…


Australian Parliament House Assault Trial Implodes

Commentary What a circus. This week the Brittany Higgins/Bruce Lehrmann rape trial imploded when the jury was dismissed due to misconduct by a juror. The case seemed to be heading for a hung jury after five days of deliberation, during which not a single question was put to the judge—which suggests that the jury was…


Brittany Higgins Sexual Assault Trial Aborted Following Juror Misconduct

The trial of the man accused of sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been aborted without a verdict after a juror’s misconduct. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum wrote in her decision that at least one juror had accessed research material outside of what was provided to the jury during the trial. During a routine…


Men Fighting Back Against the Gender Bureaucracy

Commentary It makes a pleasant change to see men fighting back—standing up to bureaucrats revelling in their feminist-bestowed power to crush ordinary blokes. Here are two stories of people facing injustice who took on the authorities and won. The first involved a senior doctor working in the health bureaucracy in Queensland, Australia, who suddenly found…


Clearing Up the Confusion Around Sexual Consent in New Zealand

Commentary It was widely reported on Aug. 3 that a man in New Zealand accused of sexually abusing two girls, aged eight and 12, relied on a New Zealand law in his defence stating that a person under 16 can consent to sexual intercourse. The accused, Tulisi Leiataua, denied the prosecution’s allegations of rape, indecent…


Campus Officials on the Precipice for Arbitrary Sexual Assault Rulings

Commentary Campus administrators running America’s Kangaroo courts have spent years running roughshod over the legal rights of young men accused of sexual assault. Now they’ve learnt they might be in the firing line when it comes to legal action against the universities. A series of judicial decisions has issued a warning to justice warriors who use their…


The Dreadful Toll of Campus Injustice in Australia

Commentary A few years ago, an engaging young overseas-trained doctor arrived in one of Australia’s biggest cities to do post-graduate research. He was a popular and confident student, soon appointed to leadership roles at the university college where he was staying, thrilled to be part of its student community. A photo of him taken a…