A former Australian senator has won her defamation case against an ex-staffer who alleged she was raped at work and that the politician helped cover it up.
The case centres on allegations in 2021 by Brittany Higgins that she was sexually assaulted by a colleague at Parliament House and that Linda Reynolds - her boss - tried to "harass" and "silence" her over the claims.
In 2023, Reynolds sued Higgins, saying three social media posts had tarnished her reputation, impacted her health and curtailed her career.
After a five-week trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia last year, Justice Paul Tottle on Wednesday found that two of the three posts were defamatory.
The judge also awarded Reynolds A$315,000 ($204,523; £151,000), plus interest, in damages.
