Key PointsWilkinson mentioned a declare by alleged rape survivor Brittany Higgins that her telephone was wiped was “curious” and “unusual.”The journalist advised a court docket she spoke to a producer in regards to the telephone problem however was advised it must be ignoredWilkinson rejected the concept that an award speech for the Higgins report was “reckless and ill-advised”.
Journalist Lisa Wilkinson says she was involved a couple of declare raised by alleged rape survivor Brittany Higgins and escalated it to senior members of her group.
Excessive-profile journalist Lisa Wilkinson says she escalated her issues a couple of declare by alleged rape survivor Brittany Higgins that her telephone had been utterly wiped.
Higgins advised Wilkinson and Ten producer Angus Lewellyn she had misplaced all knowledge on her cellular however nonetheless retained a number of messages and pictures she handed over as proof that she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Bruce Lehrmann.
Wilkinson was requested about this assembly, which happened in a Sydney lodge on 27 January 2021, within the Federal Court docket throughout defamation proceedings introduced by Lehrmann.
She described a declare by Higgins that the federal authorities might remotely wipe telephones as “curious” and “unusual”.
“I used to be making an attempt to unravel the telephone scenario, so alarm bells had been ringing for me,” she mentioned underneath cross-examination by Lehrmann’s barrister, Matthew Richardson SC on Thursday.
She denied the barrister’s suggestion this could have made her query Higgin’s reliability, as an alternative saying the declare made her see the alleged rape survivor as a “very scared younger girl”.
Lehrmann is suing Community Ten and Wilkinson for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Mission that aired Higgins’ claims.
Within the interview, Higgins mentioned the alleged rape occurred within the workplace of her then-boss Senator Linda Reynolds within the early hours of March 2019.
Brittany Higgins (left) final week completed giving proof in Bruce Lehrmann’s (proper) defamation trial in opposition to Community Ten. Supply: AAP
Lehrmann has all the time denied any sexual contact between himself and Higgins, and is chasing Community Ten and Wilkinson within the Federal Court docket for damages.
Wilkinson mentioned due to the delicate nature of sexual assault, Lewellyn had been assigned as the one particular person from Ten to have contact with Higgins through the preparatory phases.
She mentioned she had spoken to the producer in regards to the telephone problem however was advised it must be ignored because it raised “unanswerable questions” and weakened moderately than strengthened Higgins’ allegations.
She additionally escalated her issues to 2 different senior members within the group, Wilkinson advised the court docket. “I used to be advised it had been additional investigated and it was now a non-issue,” she mentioned.
The journalist additionally rejected propositions by Richardson that an award speech after The Mission received a silver Logie for the Higgins report was “reckless and ill-advised”.
The speech was made eight days earlier than Lehrmann’s legal trial over the alleged rape was because of start and resulted within the proceedings being postponed due to fears her feedback might have influenced potential jury members.
“You set your delight and your ego forward of my shopper’s proper to a good trial while you gave that speech,” Richardson mentioned.
“I utterly disagree,” Wilkinson replied.
Lehrmann was charged in August 2021 over the alleged rape, however his legal trial within the ACT Supreme Court docket was derailed by juror misconduct. Prosecutors didn’t search a second trial, citing issues for Higgins’ psychological well being.
