Accueil » Sport

Brittany Higgins' lawyers demand apology over 'lying cow' comment

04 Mars, 2021, 23:37 | Auteur: Adelaide Bullion
  • Question Time As Parliamentary Sitting Continues In Canberra

Brittany Higgins with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier on Thursday said the under-fire senator "deeply regretted" the remarks.

"I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable".

Senator Reynolds released a statement on Wednesday saying she had not cast doubt on Ms Higgins' allegations which were "very serious", Senator Reynolds said.

The Prime Minister told parliament it was unacceptable he had not been informed immediately.

Ms Higgins has told local media she felt unsupported by her boss and pressure that she would lose her job if she reported her alleged rape to police.

"She's gone this morning".

Independent MP Zali Steggall said: "It makes her position all the more untenable".

The Defence Minister has apologised to staff for the remarks which she said had been made during "a stressful time".

The letter also noted that while Reynolds has apologised to her staff, she has not not actually apologised to Higgins herself about the comment.

Senator Reynolds, who is on medical leave following heavy criticism of her handling of the allegation, is under increasing pressure to resign.

The PM asked for understand for Senator Reynolds
The PM asked for understand for Senator Reynolds

"A report in The Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins, " she said in a statement.

"I have never questioned Ms Higgins account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter".

"I did, however, comment on news reports regarding surrounding circumstances that I felt had been misrepresented", she continued.

Ms Higgins has alleged she was raped by one of Ms Reynolds' ex-advisers - a charge that has rocked the government. "I welcome her decision to progress this matter with the Australian Federal Police", she said in the statement.

However, Higgins publicly said that the "incredibly hurtful" comments were just "further evidence of the toxic workplace" inside Parliament House.

The alleged sexual assault took place in March 2019, but Ms Higgins only went public with her claim last month. The woman took her own life a year ago.

When contacted by SBS News about possible legal action, a spokesperson for Senator Reynolds said: "The Minister has no further comment to the statement issued last night".

Last week, Senator Reynolds was admitted to hospital with a pre-existing medical condition and forced to cancel a much-anticipated speech at the National Press Club - where she was expected to be pressed on her handling of the alleged incident. But equally, there have been others who have been drawn into this.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds did not deny calling Brittany Higgins a "lying cow".

When asked by a reporter point blank if he had "slept with" the alleged victim, Mr Porter said: "I did not sleep with the victim".

Mr Porter has not been charged and is not the subject of any ongoing current police investigation. And what is - I would just simply say to people - you know, it's been a very traumatic several weeks for many people.

L'Italie bloque l'exportation de vaccins Astra Zeneca vers l'Australie — Coronavirus
Il s'agit de 250.000 doses produites par AstraZeneca à Anagni, dans le Latium, qui devaient être exportées en Australie.

Chinese investment in Australia plummets amid tensions
The Australian National University's Chinese Investment in Australia Database than $780m (A$1bn; £550m) in speculation. Accordingly, China has forced duties on Australian products like grain, wine, hamburger and lobster.

Texas lifts mask rule, other USA states drop Covid restrictions despite warnings
The Hays County Local Health Department has recorded 16,399 total COVID-19 cases and 221 coronavirus-related fatalities. Businesses are able to limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols if they choose to do so.

Conseillé:



Populaire

Fermeture de centres commerciaux, vaccinations…: les nouvelles mesures en France
Dans ce département, les grandes surfaces commerciales non-alimentaires de plus de 5000m2 devront rester fermer. La baisse observée chez les plus de 80 ans atteint 17,5% sur les deux dernières semaines.

Germany approves AstraZeneca for over-65s
Spahn said that Stiko's recommendations on the AstraZeneca vaccine will be swiftly added to Germany's vaccine rules. Bavaria's state premier Markus Soeder called for "caution, trust and responsibility".

Covid-19 : la campagne de vaccination peut-elle s’accélérer en mars ?
Il compte sur les médecins retraités qui se sont portés volontaires pour occuper des créneaux sur des plages horaires vacantes. Deux millions et demi de personnes supplémentaires vont pouvoir être éligibles à la vaccination contre la Covid-19.

SpaceX rocket explodes on ground after seemingly successful flight
Before the flight of Starship SN8 in December, this maneuver had never been performed using a vehicle of this size. Regardless of holds, the weather was wonderful, with clear and sunny skies in the South Texas region.

Capitol Police say threats to Congress up 93%
Online chatter suggests some in the QAnon movement see Thursday as a Trump inauguration day . Police did not identify the group. "We are taking the intelligence seriously", it added.

European Union vows legal response as United Kingdom moves unilaterally on N.Ireland
The disruption caused widespread confusion among businesses, with some United Kingdom suppliers refusing to ship goods across the Irish Sea.

Alek Minassian found criminally responsible for Toronto van attack
Lack of empathy for the suffering of victims, even an incapacity to empathise for whatever reason, does not constitute a defence". The killer was arrested moments later after a failed attempt to commit suicide by cop.

64 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths in Manitoba Tuesday
Roussin said that there have been very similar patterns of the disproportional effects of COVID-19 in every jurisdiction. "This is systemic", he said.

Cuomo Faces Growing Calls From New York Democrats to Resign
Assemblyman Billy Jones of Chateaugay Lake is one of the Democrats who has previously voted to revoke Cuomo's powers. He also denied ever inappropriately touching anyone, a direct contradiction to the latest allegations against him.

Merck to help produce rival J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine
Psaki announced Tuesday that the federal government would invoke the Defense Production Act to assist Johnson & Johnson and Merck. One would make the vaccine and the other would handle inserting the vaccine into vials and ensuring strict quality controls.

Dernier

Tendances