Brittany Higgins fundraiser launched by campaigner Saxon Mullins

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Sexual assault campaigner Saxon Mullins is set to launch a social media campaign to help fund Brittany Higgins “ongoing medical, counselling and legal costs” as she faces the prospect of selling her home to pay for her legal defence in a defamation case.

The fundraising campaign is set to spark controversy after Ms Higgins was awarded $2.445 million from taxpayers in December of 2022 after engaging personal injury lawyers.

The fundraiser claims the money cannot be used to fund any damages payout to Senator Linda Reynolds if she wins the defamation case underway in Perth.

Accusing online trolls of “fat-shaming” and “slut-shaming” the newly married former Liberal staffer, the new fundraiser claims the money will be held in trust by her Perth lawyer and will not be able to be directly accessed by either Ms Higgins or her husband David Sharaz.

“For the past three years, Brittany has faced an endless stream of social media attacks from strangers, including victim-blaming, death threats, and rape threats. She has also been fat-shamed, slut-shamed, and urged to ‘unalive’ herself,’’ the fundraiser states.

“Her mental health has significantly suffered, yet some media outlets have mocked and trivialised that suffering, questioning whether her mental health struggles were even real.

“Brittany has faced the additional indignity of being cross examined not once but twice, and on that second occasion, tens of thousands of strangers live-streamed her raw, unfiltered evidence.

“Adding further to Brittany’s sense of violation and intrusion, some of Brittany’s private phone messages and other confidential information have been shared across media.

“Unsurprisingly this has all come at a huge personal cost to Brittany who moved overseas, but must now return.

“Brittany, who is pregnant, simply wants to move on and heal in private. This should be a time of joy and peace for Brittany to focus on her health and pregnancy.

“This fundraiser is to provide additional support for Brittany Higgins’ ongoing medical, counselling and legal costs.”

Who is Saxon Mullins?

Saxon Mullins rose to prominence in relation to a sexual assault case that sparked a major conversation regarding consent laws.

She is now the Director of Advocacy at an organisation called Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy.

In 2018, Ms Mullins appeared on the Four Corners episode “I am that girl”, where she gave up her anonymity to tell the story of her 2013 sexual assault and the subsequent criminal trials and appeals. She accused a man called Luke Lazarus of raping her behind his father’s nightclub in Kings Cross.

After being found guilty, Mr Lazarus spent 11 months in prison before he was acquitted on appeal in 2017.

The Court of Appeal then found Justice Tupman had failed to identify any steps Mr Lazarus took to determine whether Ms Saxon had consented.

However, the court did not order a third trial because it would have been “oppressive” for Mr Lazarus to face further trials.

The Four Corners episode led to the NSW Attorney-General asking the NSW Law Reform Commission to review the section of the NSW Crimes Act that deals with consent in relation to sexual assault, and has ultimately led NSW to change its laws.

Brittany Higgins to sell $600,000 French home

Ms Higgins announced last month that she was planning to sell her French home in the countryside less than a year after purchasing it to fund the million-dollar fight over former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ defamation claim.

The former Liberal staffer has previously told the Federal Court that she was awarded $1.9 million after her lawyers’ fees and taxes were paid.

In a shock development, which hints that the former Liberal staffer is under financial strain despite securing a $2.4 million compensation payout, she conceded last month that what remains of her payout could be decimated by the defamation battle.

A trial could easily cost her over a million dollars. A judge has repeatedly urged both parties to settle.

If she loses, Ms Higgins could have to pay not only her own legal fees but those of her former employer, Ms Reynolds, in whose office she alleged she was raped in 2019.

In theory, a legal defeat could then leave Ms Higgins out of pocket by millions of dollars.

What the fundraiser says

The fundraiser notes that, in a landmark Federal Court defamation decision handed down in April this year, Justice Michael Lee found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, on a balance of probabilities.

“Mr Lehrmann was hellbent on having sex with a woman he found attractive,” Justice Lee ruled.

“He did not care one way or the other whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on.”

The criminal charge against Mr Lehrmann was dropped after juror misconduct. Prosecutors decided not to seek another trial, citing Ms Higgins’ mental health.

“Many hoped the judgement would mark the end of this legal saga, and Brittany would be free to move on and heal in private,’’ the fundraiser states.

“However, Brittany is now being sued for defamation by a former boss, over three social media postings made by her in mid-2023.

“Bruce Lehrmann – who denies the rape – is also appealing Justice Lee’s decision.

“And later this month the controversial ‘Restoring the Presumption of Innocence’ conference will take place. One of the foreshadowed speeches is entitled ‘The verdict goes to… the best actress’.

“That conference has been organised by men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt.

“But these comments are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Where the money will go

The fundraiser states that “all money will be held in trust by Perth solicitor Carmel Galati. The money will be used for Brittany Higgins’ benefit for:

1. Ongoing medical and counselling costs, and

2. payment of any outstanding invoices for legal work performed for Ms Brittany Higgins, by her own WA legal team.

“Two independent individuals have been appointed to oversee and scrutinise the release of funds for the authorised purposes proscribed in this fundraiser,’’ it states.

“No money deposited in this trust will be used as part of any legal settlement with any third party and neither Brittany nor her partner will have direct access to the funds.

“This fundraising campaign has no ability to influence the conduct of any litigation Ms Higgins is involved in and cannot influence the type of medical health care she receives.

“Any funds not used for the above purposes will be donated to a registered Australian sexual assault charity of Ms Higgins’ choosing and an update will be posted here and on Brittany Higgins’ social media account, should that occur.”