Page:Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment).pdf/183

 wasn't present for the phone call. But it was a very brief case, and the entry I read from him saying that he called her and ensured that there was no pressure placed upon her by anyone to make the decision not to proceed with an investigation at that point.

698 By May 2019, what occurred is that Ms Higgins began to reflect on the unjustness of what had happened and was no doubt questioning whether she had done the right thing in not holding Mr Lehrmann to account. Her confusion and trauma understandably continued. From her perspective, Mr Lehrmann had moved on and she was distressed she had to cope as best she could. At this time, she was continuing to confide in Mr Dillaway and had been upset by a news story about a senior staffer in the office of the Hon Ken Wyatt MP allegedly engaging in bullying (T683.5–21; R99 (at 1420–1424)).

699 Ms Higgins heard Senator Reynolds say something like "[i]t's really awful that staffers would leak this about this woman", which Ms Higgins took as a comment supportive of someone behaving inappropriately (T683.8–16). Ms Higgins was obviously reflecting on her situation. She sent a text message to Mr Dillaway at 7:15pm on 6 May asking whether he had seen the story, and at 7:25pm (Ex R99 (at 1424)):

It just sort of reminds me of my situation, I guess.

How it can be turned into a story and everyone is basically just empathising with the perpetrator of the harassment.

700 Later, at 9:23pm, she texted that she was (Ex R99 (at 1428)):

Kinda shitty.

I'm not sure why, but I just feel super angry at the moment. It's probably misdirected and should be aimed at Bruce but I feel so pissed at the people in the party.

701 And at 9:44pm (Ex R99 (at 1429)):

No, not really. It's just beyond shitty hearing Linda offering this obviously horrible Wyatt staffer all this support in the wake of the story and I'm, like ???

I was literally assaulted in your office and I collectively maybe took 4 days off/was offered jack shit in terms of help.

702 Finally, at 10:05pm Ms Higgins texted (Ex R99 (at 1431))):

If I want to maintain a job, I can't talk about it but I’m still getting follow up calls from the AFP to this dah [sic] and I'm just at the end of my rope with it.

703 I have little doubt that Ms Higgins considered, with justification, that it was wrong that as someone who had career (including political) aspirations, she had been placed in a situation where, to use the earlier words she had used to Mr Dillaway, she needed to have "concerns Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment) [2024] FCA 369