SYDNEY - Australian prosecutors said on Friday they will drop the high-profile case of a former government adviser accused of sexually assaulting a colleague in Parliament, because the trial was severely harming the complainant’s mental health.
Brittany Higgins, an ex-staffer for then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, alleged last year thatReuters does not usually identify victims of sex crimes, but Higgins went public with the accusation. “Whilst the pursuit of justice is essential for both my office and for the community in general, the safety of a complainant in a sexual assault matter must be paramount,” Drumgold said.Lehrmann’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Higgins could not immediately be reached.