8 June 2022

New trial date set for Brittany Higgins' alleged rapist

| Albert McKnight

Bruce Lehrmann is accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. Photos: Supplied.

A new date has been set for the trial of the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.

On Wednesday (8 June), barrister Steven Whybrow, appearing for the accused Bruce Lehrmann, told the ACT Supreme Court he had recently been briefed on the case and asked for the trial to start on 27 June as “there is a lot of material to get across”.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said she thought that was “inevitable”. She said the trial was estimated to run for four weeks and confirmed it will start on 27 June.

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It had originally been set to start on 6 June but was postponed earlier this month.

Last year, ACT Policing alleged that then-26-year-old Mr Lehrmann had sexual intercourse with Ms Higgins without her consent at Parliament House on 23 March 2019.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

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