Brittany Higgins has been spotted leaving for a trip away with her fiancé while carrying a book by an ABC reporter about Australia’s legal system – a day after revelations about her new prestigious new United Nations role.
Ms Higgins was on Saturday seen dressed casually in a blue and white dress and plain sandals, while her fiancé David Sharaz donned a beige jacket, jeans and brown boots.
The couple was seen packing designer luggage into a white sedan.
The former Liberal staffer carried her dog under one arm and under the other a copy of ABC journalist Louise Milligan’s book Witness.
The book, shortlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize, is an investigation into the failings of how the Australian legal system deals with high-profile sexual abuse claims.
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was on Saturday spotted packing for a trip away, holding a copy of ABC journalist Louise Milligan’s book Witness
Ms Higgins is pictured with her fiancé David Sharaz as the couple prepared for a trip away
Ms Higgins was seen carrying a copy of ABC journalist Louise Milligan’s book Witness
The couple’s luggage included a navy Longchamp bag and exclusive RIMOWA suitcases, which sell for up to $3,000.
On Friday, it was revealed Ms Higgins had scored a role at the United Nations devoted to ending discrimination against women.
Ms Higgins also confirmed rumours she and Mr Sharaz had recently jetted overseas for an extended trip.
Ms Higgins shared a series of photos of herself posing outside Palais des Nations, the United Nations’ conference centre in Geneva, Switzerland.
‘Honoured to intern at this year’s @unitednations convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),’ she wrote on social media.
Her wardrobe choices included a baby pink suit and blazer matched with Gucci-style high heels. A similarly designed shoe costs $1,000 in Australia.
After the story was published, Ms Higgins posted a message exchange on her Instagram story, revealing the Gucci shoes belonged to her mother Kelly.
On Friday, Ms Higgins revealed she had landed a new role at the United Nations devoted to ending discrimination against women
Ms Higgins was seen dressed casually with her pet dog under her arm on Saturday
Mr Sharaz was spotted carrying a navy Longchamp bag and expensive RIMOWA suitcases
On Saturday, court testimony emerged of a Colombian-born cleaner sent to tidy up Senator Linda Reynolds’ parliamentary office in the hours after Ms Higgins alleges she was raped there.
His testimony poured cold water on the persistent rumour of an alleged ‘steam clean’ cover-up.
Carlos Ramos was asked to clean Senator Reynolds office on March 23, 2019, after Parliamentary Security Staff officers alerted a Department of Finance official that two staffers had entered the office and Ms Higgins had slept on the couch.
Ms Higgins didn’t make public allegations of an assault until much later and investigations by the former inspector-general of intelligence and security Vivienne Thom and the Federal Police found there was no reason to suspect one at that point.
Late night drinks in parliamentary offices, however, are not uncommon in Canberra and special cleans are sometimes ordered to ensure MPs do not arrive to the remains of a party.
Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz moved to Queensland after Ms Higgins received a substantial payout from the Commonwealth, after she sought damages for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and victimisation
When Mr Ramos arrived to complete the clean, expecting a two-hour or longer job, he found the room so tidy that he called his boss who then reached out to security staff to make sure they had the right room.
In cross-examination, Ramos told defence barrister Katrina Musgrove: ‘It was totally just routine clean.’
His testimony refutes the claim the couch in Ms Reynolds’ office had been thoroughly steam cleaned in the hours following the alleged sexual assault.
Ms Higgins in 2021 came forward to accuse her colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her inside a minister’s office in Parliament House in March 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has always strenuously denied the allegations, and they were never proven in court.
His case resulted in a mistrial due to juror misbehaviour and prosecutors declined to take Mr Lehrmann’s case to a retrial over concerns over Ms Higgins’ mental health.
Senator Linda Reynolds is suing Mr Sharaz in the Supreme Court of Western Australia over five social media posts he uploaded that she alleges were ‘falsely defamatory’.
However, the case had been languishing since January as Ms Reynolds lawyers had been struggling to serve the elusive former journalist with court papers.
Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz moved to Queensland after Ms Higgins received a substantial payout, rumoured to be up to $3million, from the Commonwealth, after she sought damages for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and victimisation.
