Ex-Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins has lashed the police officers who investigated rape allegations she made against her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann.
The officers could seek compensation for the mental health impacts of the investigation and a subsequent inquiry into how the case was handled.
The inquiry, led by former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff, was sparked by allegations made by the chief prosecutor and police about each other’s conduct during the high-profile case.
A final report handed to the ACT government on Monday made several adverse findings against Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold.
While Mr Drumgold accepted his conduct was less than perfect, he rejected many of the adverse findings against him but ultimately resigned from the role.
Many of Mr Sofronoff’s recommendations related to improving police policies, including defining the threshold required to charge a suspect, updates to how officers store victim counselling notes and training on compiling evidence briefs.
His report noted investigators made mistakes and some decisions caused “unnecessary distress” to Ms Higgins.
These included conducting a second interview with Ms Higgins and providing her counselling notes to prosecutors and the defence, when they shouldn’t have been.
Yet despite the errors, Mr Sofronoff found investigators acted “in good faith” and with “great determination” and did not conduct themselves improperly.
Several junior and senior police officers are reportedly considering a compensation claim for the psychological impacts they endured.
But in a scathing statement on her Instagram, Ms Higgins alleged the police who handled her case were “absolutely awful” to her.
“They wrongly handed over my most private thoughts taken over years in counselling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre to defence and by (Mr Sofronoff’s) own admission didn’t know the threshold for charging in sexual offences,” she said.
“They cast judgments about the merits of my advocacy and regularly reiterated the reasons why they thought I shouldn’t proceed with pressing charges.
“I do not celebrate the misfortune of others, however these officers were disgraced by their conduct not by the DPP.”Â
Ms Higgins had accused Mr Lehrmann, her former colleague, of raping her inside a ministerial office at Parliament House after a night out in 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation.
In a statement, ACT Policing said officers were encouraged to take periods of leave to maintain positive mental health and wellbeing in response to their job demands.
The impact of the Lehrmann investigation, trial and inquiry had been individual to each officer.
“ACT Policing has provided a range of significant supports to officers during the investigation, trial and inquiry,” a spokesperson told AAP.
“Since 2019, a small number of officers have taken leave and ACT Policing has provided continuous support during this period.
“Every officer involved with the matter has retained employment with the AFP.”
ACT chief police officer Neil Gaughan committed to increasing staffing levels and improving training for officers in the sexual assault response team in the wake of the Sofronoff report.
But he said every officer involved in Ms Higgins’ matter since 2019 had worked diligently and compassionately and there were many outcomes nobody could have imagined.
“We will continue to provide appropriate support and guidance to all those involved today, and in the weeks and months ahead,” he said on Tuesday.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
By Maeve Bannister in Canberra
