Judge rules: Australian political staffer raped colleague in parliament office

A judge in Australia ruled that Bruce Lehrmann, a former political staffer, is likely to have raped a colleague, Brittany Higgins, in her office at Parliament House. The allegations were first reported in media outlets in early 2021 and led to nationwide protests. In a related development, Lehrmann brought a defamation suit against Network 10 television and its journalist Lisa Wilkinson for reporting on the rape allegations. However, the judge dismissed the defamation case, stating that the media outlet's reporting was truthful and protected under Australia's freedom of press laws.