about becoming known as the girl who was raped in Parliament, and she was worried about how it could affect her job and her career".
704 For completeness, I should note that Ms Higgins, during the course of her evidence, gave a good deal of evidence about how she felt or what she perceived, usually expressed at a high level of generality. At the end of her evidence, in order to seek clarification of what she meant as to obstructions or roadblocks, I requested Ms Higgins to identify with precision what were the express words or the actual actions of either (a) Ms Brown; (b) Senator Reynolds; (c) members of the AFP; or (d) anyone else she perceived to be in authority over her, which obstructed her, or threw up a roadblock, or forced her to choose between her career and pursuing her complaint up until she confirmed definitively she did not want to proceed in 2019. The exchange went as follows:
HIS HONOUR: Now, so dealing first with Ms Brown. What I want you to do is to focus on the date when you raised the allegation of rape – and you've given evidence about that - - -?---Yes.
- - - and the period up to 13 April 2019?---Yes.
Now, you might recall on 13 April 2019, that's the date you emailed the Federal Police to say you really appreciated their time, professionalism and assistance with the complaint. "You've helped me more than you can know." And you thanked them for their sensitivity and care, but said after careful consideration, you decided not to proceed any further, okay?---Yes.
So that's the period I'm asking you to focus on?---Yes.
So dealing first with Fiona Brown. I just want to – I've heard what you said about your feelings and what you inferred, but I just want to understand what actually did she say to you or what actually did she do which you said put up a roadblock or obstructed you?---Of course. So the – the first major thing that really made me first doubt Fiona Brown was the difference of account between what Chris Payne knew and what she knew and what she was forthcoming and telling me, and that was the first time that I questioned Fiona Brown, because initially I really trusted what she was saying.
So what is it that she said? That's what I want you to focus on: what she said - - -?---Yes.
- - - or what she did, not what you took from things - - -?---Of course.
- - - okay, because you've given a lot of evidence about what you felt?---Yes.
I want to know what she said or what she did which you said amounted to an obstruction so you had to choose between your career and making a complaint to the police?---Yes. So - - -
Specifically?---Yes. So she said that she didn't know about – she – she – okay. She – she said – she said that she didn't know certain things, or, like, she said that I had been found or was drunk or something, and then when I spoke to Chris Payne, I
