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Australia PM apologised over handling of rape complaint

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Daily US Times: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised over his handling of a rape complaint from one of his former political adviser.

The 26-year-old adviser Brittany Higgins has alleged she was raped by a senior colleague in a minister’s office in parliament.

She said she had feared losing her job after the 2019 incident, and had little support from her bosses.

Ms Higgins gave a TV interview on Monday that has prompted shock and outrage over her treatment.

The Australian Prime Minister apologised for the way Ms Higgins’ complaint was handled.

The rape complaint are now under a renewed police investigation.

Mr Morrison said he was “shattered” by her claims, and had called for a review into parliament’s environment and culture.

“I hope Brittany’s call is a wake-up call for all of us,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

But he was also drew criticism for saying he better comprehended the allegations after considering them as a father of two girls.

Higgins said she was offered her a lift home by an older male colleague at the end of a night out, but instead he took her to Parliament House.

Ms Higgins said she was drunk and feel asleep in Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds’ office, before waking to find the man sexually assaulting her.

She told Network Ten: “I woke up mid-rape essentially. I started crying… I told him to stop.”

She said the man left immediately afterwards, and she was not offered assistance by security guards on her way out of parliament.

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