Bruce Lehrmann Spotlight interview: Ex-defence Minister Linda Reynolds rejects Brittany Higgins account of events and claims ‘never’ used the word rape

Brittany Higgins’ ex-boss Linda Reynolds said she never used the word ‘rape’ during her initial complaints about Bruce Lehrmann.

Senator Reynolds made the extraordinary revelation 7News Spotlight on Sunday night during her first ever television interview about Ms Higgins’ allegations.

Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her inside Senator Reynolds’ office, when she was the defence industry minister, inside Parliament House in March 2019. He strongly denies the allegations.

The former Liberal staffer made her allegations against Mr Lehrmann public for the first time in February 2021, in an online article by Samantha Maiden and in a TV interview on The Project with Lisa Wilkinson.

The senator said she was shocked when she watched The Project episode and found out Ms Higgins had accused her of treating her allegations like problem, rather than taking them seriously.

Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) featured in an episode of 7News Spotlight on Sunday night

Senator Reynolds said also said she only found out there were sexual assault allegations a week after she had a meeting with Ms Higgins in her office.

She also claimed Ms Higgins never used the ‘r-word’ during that conversation and, when she found out there were rape allegations, she believed Ms Higgins should, go straight to the police.

The former minister also said the outgoing ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, should have been ‘sacked’ – claiming he painted her as ‘the perfect villain’ during the rape trial in October last year. 

Mr Lehrmann’s defence lawyer Steven Whybrow was also interviewed, and primarily spoke about the conduct of Mr Drumgold – claiming his client ‘didn’t get a fair trial’.

Mr Lehrmann’s second 7News Spotlight interview comes almost a week after the findings of a Board of Inquiry was handed down by the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr – in the form of a lengthy report comprising almost 900 pages.

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The inquiry, chaired by former judge Walter Sofronoff, looked into the way his trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year was handled by police and the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold.

Last week, Mr Lehrmann told Daily Mail Australia he was looking forward to divulging more details about his trial, from his perspective, on Sunday night.

Brittany Higgins (pictured centre) alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her in 2019. He denies that allegations

‘I have plenty to say after today’s mess of a press conference but I’ll wait until I sit down with Liam Bartlett again this Sunday on 7News Spotlight,’ he said.

Along with details of the trial, the interview will also focus on Mr Lehrmann’s upcoming law suit against the AC, and his reaction to the damning inquiry findings against Mr Drumgold. 

In a promo for the interview, Mr Lehrmann looked into the lens of the camera and said: ‘We knew were were being played, just not how badly’. 

The first trial was called off because a juror brought banned research material into the court, before Mr Drumgold dropped the charge entirely in December due to Ms Higgins’ mental health.

The bulk of the interview will focus on Mr Lehrmann’s upcoming legal action against the ACT over the bungled trial.

The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold (pictured during the trial), has resigned

However, the promo hinted that he could also be planning a lawsuit against Ms Higgins. 

The clip shows Mr Lehrmann looking troubled after being asked if he will ‘sue her [Ms Higgins] for defamation?’. 

Mr Lehrmann will also divulge his reaction to the ‘damning’ inquiry findings against the man who tried and failed to prosecute him, Mr Drumgold.

Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, the liberal senator whose office Ms Higgins alleges she was raped in, will also be featured in the episode.