The man who was involved in a high-profile rape case taking place in Australia’s Parliament House is now embroiled in another rape accusation in Queensland.
Bruce Lehrmann, 28, has been identified as the unnamed man charged with two counts of rape in January, weeks after he attended an ACT court over accusations he raped former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.
The revelation came after the Queensland Supreme Court refused to grant Mr. Lehrmann a non-publication order at 5 p.m. on Oct. 26, allowing media outlets to name him.
Changes To Queensland’s Law
Under Queensland law, individuals charged with certain sex offences can have their identities protected if they are not committed to stand trial.
However, new laws in October have allowed alleged sex offenders to be identified, bringing Queensland in line with most other states and territories in Australia.
Under the changes to Queensland’s Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, the alleged victim, the defendant or the prosecution have the right to submit a non-publication order to the court.
Magistrates Court’s Decision Upheld
Mr. Lehrmann filed an application on Oct. 14 to suppress his identity in the case at a Toowoomba court. His application was denied but he was given an interim order to maintain the status quo until the matter was heard and determined by the Supreme Court.
Barrister Andrew Hoare, acting for Mr. Lehrmann, said his client had suffered suicidal thoughts over the years and that revealing his client’s name could pose “real existing risk of harm” to him.
“A risk of self-harm has been identified ... through aggravation of existing symptoms,” he said.
Mr. Hoare also argued that a non-publication order was necessary to prevent media publicity from prejudicing the jurors’ decisions.
On the other hand, the legal team of Australian media outlets including news.com.au, the Seven and Nine networks, and the ABC, argued that Mr. Lehrmann had given statements to the media.
“He wants to be heard everywhere except here, it seems,” Robert Anderson K.C., representing the media, told the court.
In a decision handed down in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Oct. 13, Magistrate Clare Kelly ruled that revealing the defendant’s name would be “very much aligned with the public interest.”
“Otherwise, powerful litigants may come to think that they can extract from courts or prosecuting authorities protection greater than that enjoyed by ordinary parties whose problems come before the courts and may be openly reported,” Ms. Kelly said.
Ms. Kelly found a lack of evidence in Mr. Lerhmann’s claims of mental health issues and self-harm risks.
She also rejected the claim that revealing Mr. Lehrmann’s identity could prejudice jurors against him, saying the effect of doing that in Toowoomba would be the same as in any other city in Australia.
Mr. Lehrmann’s legal team challenged the decision at the Supreme Court, but Supreme Court Justice Peter Applegarth backed the magistrate’s assessment.
The alleged victim, a Toowoomba woman, wished for Mr. Lehrmann to be named.
Mr. Lehrmann faced trial for sexually assaulting Ms. Higgins in the Parliament House in 2021. The case was postponed multiple times before being officially dropped due to the prosecutor’s concerns over Ms. Higgins’ mental health.Mr. Lerhmann argued the pair never had any sexual interaction.
He has sued several Australian media outlets for defamation due to their reporting of the rape allegations.
