Australia's Prime Minister has promised to review a rape allegation that has rocked Parliament.
Brittany Higgins bravely went public with her story about the night in 2019 that she claims a Liberal staffer had sex with her without her consent.
The young woman told news.com.au about the horrifying incident that allegedly happened when she was just 24 after colleagues had drinks together.
She and the staffer got into the office of her boss, then-Defense Industry Minister Linda Reynolds, and she remembers passing out on a couch and feeling ill.
Advert
When she woke up, she claims the unnamed man was on top of her and was having sex with her.
She remembered being in pain because she alleged her leg was being pinned down and the colleague didn't look at her during the ordeal. When he was finished, he got up and left.
Reporter Samantha Maiden, who broke the story, said this morning (February 16) that the Prime Minister has spoken about how the allegation has been discussed in his family.
"Jenny and I spoke last night, and she said to me, 'You have to think about this as a father first. What would you want to happen if it were our girls?" Scott Morrison said, according to news.com.au.
Advert
"Jenny has a way of clarifying things. Always has. And so as I've reflected on that overnight and listened to Brittany and what she had to say, there are a couple of things here we need to address.
"The first of those is it shatters me that still, in this day and age, that a young woman can find herself in the vulnerable situation that she was in.
"Brittany talked about it being her dream job. We are all privileged - whether it's members of Parliament, the people who work in our offices, indeed, those who work in the Gallery and get to do what we do in this place - it is a privilege.
Advert
"And we should be able to go about that important work safely."
Ms Higgins was discovered in the morning after the alleged rape and was still in the cocktail dress from the night before.
When she raised the issue with Parliament's higher ups, she was informed the matter was being taken seriously, partly because it was a severe security breach.
Advert
Brittany said her alleged rapist resigned soon after the incident, however it wasn't because of the ordeal she claims she was put through.
Ms Higgins told The Project: "He's fine. He's working in Sydney, he's got a good job. People don't know why he left and I don't think he's suffered any consequences for it at all. I think he just kind of got to keep going."
She's expressed her heartache at the idea that he has allowed to carry on with his life, while she felt the need to give up her 'dream job' in Canberra as she couldn't face being in the building where she was allegedly assaulted.
Scott Morrison has ordered a review into the alleged incident and said 'Brittany's call is a wake-up for all of us from'.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Australia