Brittany Higgins will make a formal complaint to police over her allegation that she was raped in Parliament House in 2019.
The former Liberal staffer says she was sexually assaulted by a male colleague inside minister Linda Reynolds’ office after a night out in Canberra.
“Today I have re-engaged with Australian Federal Police and will proceed with a formal complaint regarding the crime committed against me in what should be the safest building in Australia,” Higgins said in a statement on Friday.
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“I want a comprehensive police investigation into what happened to me on 22-23 March 2019 and for my perpetrator to face the full force of the law.
“The Australian Federal Police have made assurances to me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently.
“I would also ask that they handle it in a timely manner as to date.
“I have waited a long time for justice.”
Higgins previously said she had decided not to pursue a police complaint at the time because she felt pressure that doing so would affect her employment.
On Friday, she spoke of a desire to spark wider change, through a “significant review into the conditions under which ministerial and parliamentary staff are employed and how we can do better”.
Higgins said she also wants to “drive significant reform” in how Parliament House handles “issues of this nature”.
“I expect a truly independent investigation into how my matter was handled inside the government including offices where I worked, and other offices and parties that had knowledge of my circumstances,” she said.
“I believe that getting to the bottom of what happened to me and how the system failed me is critical to creating a new framework for political staff that ensures genuine cultural change and restores the trust of staff.
“Too often, a toxic workplace culture can emerge that enables inappropriate conduct and this is exacerbated by the disparity in the power dynamics.
She said she remains driven by the hope that “no other person would have to go through the trauma that I experienced during my time in Parliament House”.
“I was failed repeatedly, but I now have my voice, and I am determined to use to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again,” she said.
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