Police are investigating numerous allegations of misconduct involving federal MPs and staff in wake of Brittany Higgins

Police are investigating numerous allegations of misconduct involving federal MPs and staff in wake of Brittany Higgins

On Tuesday, it was confirmed that in the wake of Brittany Higgins’ story going public, the Australian Federal Police has received 40 reports relating to 19 different allegations of sexual misconduct involving federal politicians and their staff.

Speaking at Senate Estimates, Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw confirmed that some of these reports involved sexual assault, and that the Australian Federal Police has referred 15 of the allegations to state and territory police. The four other matters have been closed, with no offences found.

Commissioner Kershaw said 12 of the matters had been identified by police as “sensitive investigations”, which means it may be of “significant interest” to the public and likely involves a “prominent” individual, elected politician, journalist, or organisation, and could impact the operation of the government.

Kershaw said the 40 reports have been received by the Australian Federal Police since the 24th of February, which was the week after Brittany Higgins publicly revealed her alleged sexual assault inside parliament house.

Meanwhile, in a report tabled in parliament on Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff John Kunkel declined to make a finding that the prime minister’s media team gave negative briefings to journalists about Brittany Higgins’ partner, David Sharaz.  

Kunkel wrote that he is “not in a position to make a finding that the alleged activity took place” but “the fact that those allegations have been made serves as an important reminder of the need for your staff to hold themselves to the highest standards”.

When he tabled the report, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament “My chief of staff found in the negative”, but as Senator Penny Wong told Senate Estimates on Tuesday, Kunkel didn’t “find that the backgrounding didn’t happen…he just didn’t find that it did”.

“It doesn’t exonerate anybody – he didn’t make a finding it didn’t occur,” Wong said.

The government’s mismanagement of Higgins’ allegation that she was raped by a colleague in parliament house was deepened when it was alleged that the prime minister’s office had backgrounded against her partner.

Kunkel concluded that he did not deny Higgins’ beliefs “are sincerely held” and his “conclusion, based upon the evidence presented to me, should in no way be taken as a reflection upon the honesty or sincerity of Ms Higgins”.

It was also revealed that Higgins had not been told the report would be tabled in parliament by the Prime Minister on Tuesday, and only had it sent to her after it had already been presented. She had written to Kunkel in March requesting he investigate whether parliamentary staff had negatively briefed journalists against her partner.

“It just appears that the Prime Minister and others around him are prepared to walk all over an alleged rape victim, and her partner, in order to protect their reputations,” Wong said.

In a statement provided the Guardian, David Sharaz, the partner of Brittany Higgins, said “we won’t be intimidated by those who wish to silence us”.

“The PM’s chief of staff undertakes an investigation into his own office and finds it’s functioning well. How unexpected,” he said.

“Even the most cynical person would see this for what it is, PMO staffers protecting themselves.”

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