Brittany Higgins’ fiance David Sharaz shares messages for Australia after court finds Bruce Lehrmann did rape her at Parliament House

Brittany Higgins’ fiancée, David Sharaz, has shared several messages with Australia after Lisa Wilkinson won her defamation case against Bruce Lehrmann.

Federal Court Judge Michael Lee found Lehrman raped Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.

His findings come after Mr Lehrmann sued Network Ten and Wilkinson for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Project, in which Brittany Higgins alleged he raped her in a Parliament House office almost two years earlier.

But Mr Lee ruled in Network 10’s favor on Monday, finding the report was truthful in its allegations against Mr Lehrmann.

“Mr. Lehrmann raped Ms. Higgins,” Judge Lee said, a finding based on the civil court standard – the balance of probabilities, rather than beyond a reasonable doubt the criminal court standard.

Daily Mail Australia understands Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz monitored the outcome of the decision from France after moving to the small town of Lunas in 2023.

Mr Sharaz reposted the comments of several women’s rights activists on social media shortly after the decision was made.

One of the messages he shared was from Saxon Mullins, a sexual assault survivor and anti-violence advocate.

“We can’t forget that to get here, we watched our justice system tear a real person apart,” she said.

‘Family, friends, love life, spelling mistakes, diaries, texts, photos, mistakes. It was all laid bare for us to assess and take apart. Is this what justice looks like to you?”

He also posted comments from ABC host Dr. Julia Baird, who spoke out against the reporting of the case.

“Probably a good time to reflect on how diligently and brazenly mastheads and prominent commentators seek to undermine, discredit and destroy women who claim or report sexual assault. There has been a lot of bullying disguised as journalism; it infects,” the message read.

In addition to the two lawyers’ messages, Mr. Sharaz shared a statement from Network 10.

The statement reads: ‘This judgment is a triumph for the truth.

“Judge Lee’s ruling is a vindication for the courageous Brittany Higgins who gave a voice to women across the country.”

Outside court, a like-minded Ms Wilkinson said: ‘Today the Federal Court found that I published a true story about a rape at a federal politician’s office in March 2019.

“I sincerely hope that the verdict will empower women across the country.

‘I am also so grateful to have been able to make use of our independent legal team.’

She thanked her lawyer Sue Chrysanthou KC for her “expertise and wise counsel,” which have been “a source of continued strength for me over the past fourteen months.”

Wilkinson also thanked her family and friends and ‘generous’ members of the public who often approach her in tears.

“Throughout every step of this process, I was surrounded by the love of my incredibly supportive family.

“And also incredibly supportive friends and colleagues. I can never thank them enough.

“I also wanted to say how grateful I am to the public who approached me almost every day to express their continued support, often through tears.”

By contrast, Mr. Lehrmann did not say a word as he stormed through the press pack after the ruling.

The former Liberal staffer sat with his head bowed as he listened to the judge’s findings.

“He was a 23-year-old man who cheated on his girlfriend, having just had a ‘relationship’ with a woman he found sexually attractive,” Judge Lee said.

“Human experience shows that what he then wanted to happen is not exactly shrouded in mystery.”

The judge said Mr. Lehrmann “was determined to have sex with a woman he found sexually attractive, who had kissed and touched passionately… and whose inhibitions he knew had been reduced.”

“He didn’t care one way or the other whether Mrs. Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on.

Judge Lee found that, contrary to Mr Lehrmann’s evidence, sexual intercourse occurred and that Ms Higgins did not consent to it.

“I am convinced that sexual intercourse took place,” the judge said.

Judge Lee said Lehrmann was “on top” of Ms Higgins and she was unable to get off the bench.

Had the 28-year-old won his defamation case, he would have only been entitled to a “very modest” amount of $20,000 in damages, given the limited nature of the damages resulting from Ten’s reporting, Judge Lee said.

While a Logies speech by Lisa Wilkinson on The Project segment derailed the criminal proceedings against Lehrmann and denied him the right to a fair trial, it gave his legal team more time to attack Ms Higgins’ allegations.

The criminal trial against Lehrmann was halted in 2022 without any findings being made against him.

“After escaping from the lion’s den, Mr. Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat,” Judge Lee said.

Judge Lee described both Lehrmann and Ms Higgins as ‘unreliable historians’ as they recounted what happened that fateful night.

The judge said Ms Higgins had been detached from the truth about allegations made to Ten in 2021 that members of the then coalition government had tried to silence her when reporting the alleged rape.

But Judge Lee found that any false statements made to police in 2019 were not inconsistent with the comments made by a real sexual assault victim.

The judge also convicted Ten for his behavior after Wilkinson gave a Logie speech in which she praised Higgins’ bravery just eight days before Lehrmann’s criminal trial.

The judge pointed out that Ms Wilkinson did seek advice, but Network Ten let her down by suggesting she make the speech in support of Ms Higgins.

“Ten’s behavior… was grossly inappropriate and unjustifiable.”