The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Shane Drumgold, has been questioned in an inquiry regarding his decision to prevent the release of a police report that raised concerns about the details of Brittany Higgins’s rape allegation against Bruce Lehrmann. The inquiry, led by former Queensland Judge Walter Sofronoff, is investigating the conduct of prosecutors, police, and the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner during the prosecution of Mr Lehrmann. Mr Lehrmann’s trial was abandoned, and there are no findings against him, as he maintains his innocence.
Investigative documents reveal that police believed Ms Higgins had deliberately deleted content from her phone before handing it over to them. The police report, dubbed the Moller report, described Ms Higgins as evasive, uncooperative, and manipulative. The report also alleged that Ms Higgins repeatedly refused to provide police with the phone she was using at the time of the alleged incident before eventually handing it over. Investigators also alleged that there were phone messages indicating that Ms Higgins had deliberately deleted content from her phone before giving it to the police.
The inquiry has also heard that the DPP read notes from Ms Higgins’s counselling sessions after they had been improperly disclosed to lawyers for Mr Lehrmann. Such material is typically treated as protected confidence by the court and cannot be seen without consent. Emails shown to the inquiry reveal that police served the brief of evidence directly to the defence without first going through the DPP’s office. The brief included sensitive information, such as notes from Ms Higgins’s counselling sessions after the alleged incident, as well as personal details such as her address and phone number.
Mr Drumgold has repeatedly insisted that there was no valid reason for disclosing the Moller report. He believed that if Ms Higgins heard that a senior police officer was writing what could be interpreted as “pejorative” comments about her, it “would inhibit her ability to engage in the trial.” The inquiry has also heard that Mr Drumgold called the police officers “boofheads” during a discussion about what evidence might be led by Detective Inspector Boorman or Detective Superintendent Moller.
The inquiry is ongoing, and its findings will shed light on the conduct of prosecutors, police, and the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner during the prosecution of Mr Lehrmann. The case has garnered significant media attention and has sparked a national conversation about sexual assault and harassment in Australian politics. The outcome of the inquiry will be closely watched by many Australians who are calling for greater accountability and transparency in the justice system.
Source: abc.net.au
