Updated Bruce Lehrmann Pt2 * Reynolds Defamation Trial Current

[Kurve]

Here is PART 1

Historical Rape Allegation Against Fmr AG Christian Porter
The Alexander Matters matters

Just a reminder, this is the crime board and we need to be aware that there will be victims of crime either watching this thread or engaging in here from time to time. A degree of respect in all discussions is expected.

LINK TO TIMELINE
CJS INQUIRY
FINAL REPORT – BOARD OF INQUIRY – CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Joint media statement – Chief Minister and Attorney-General



FIONA BROWN - AFFIDAVIT

 

[FIGJAM]

Saw this yesterday. Hard to believe that stealthing wasn't illegal in Qld until now. A fairly obvious form of non-consent I'd have thought!

Stealthing is now criminalised in Queensland. Here's what you need to know

New sexual consent laws come into effect from Monday, along with the criminalisation of stealthing.

www.abc.net.au

Bruce has other concerns other than the stealthing component. Does beg the question though, that if the only charge on him was stealthing, would he have escaped "The Lion's Den" for a second time?

 

[Lady O]

Saw this yesterday. Hard to believe that stealthing wasn't illegal in Qld until now. A fairly obvious form of non-consent I'd have thought!

Stealthing is now criminalised in Queensland. Here's what you need to know

New sexual consent laws come into effect from Monday, along with the criminalisation of stealthing.

www.abc.net.au

Bruce has other concerns other than the stealthing component. Does beg the question though, that if the only charge on him was stealthing, would he have escaped "The Lion's Den" for a second time?

I thought this was what BL was charged with? If stealthing wasn't rape, why was he charged with rape?

 

[Festerz]

I thought this was what BL was charged with? If stealthing wasn't rape, why was he charged with rape?

Lehrmann IS charged with rape because the allegation is that he undertook sexual intercourse without consent.

Lehrmann was charged with two counts of sexual assault - rape - for alleged offences committed in October 2021. Toowoomba magistrate, Mark Howden, committed Lehrmann to stand trial having found that:

“In my view, when considering the evidence as a whole, it is sufficient at this stage for me to reach a conclusion that a reasonable jury, properly instructed, could return a verdict of guilty,”

The alleged victim claims she awoke to find Lehrmann on top of and penetrating her without a condom, despite her having insisted upon a condom being used during their earlier consensual encounter.

She alleges she pulled her body away and told him to “stop what you are doing” but that he instead climbed back on top of her saying, “it’s OK, it’s OK,” continuing the unwanted sex before ejaculating inside her.

“I did not consent to him penetrating me,” she told police. “I was not enthusiastically laying there. I was so in my head, I was in shock.”

The sexual assault (rape charge) was laid because it is alleged the victim made the explicit condition for sexual intercourse (use of a condom) which was ignored by Lehrmann. It is therefore covered under 'consent' provisions under legislation applying when the alleged offence occurred.

Changes to Qld laws around 'stealthing', which have also been legislated in most other jurisdictions, relate to affirmative consent - i.e. explicit, informed, and voluntary agreement. As with other matters relating to sexual engagement, the person removing the condom during intercourse can no longer rely on the defence of implied consent. The Toowoomba sexual assault allegations concerning Lehrmann were never about implied consent as the victim stated she explicitly required that a condom be used.

(Note: Edited to correct grammar errors and to labour the legal distinction between explicit/affirmative consent and 'implied' consent to assist with clarity)

 

[Kurve]

State parliament has heard allegations of inappropriate behaviour and a “protection racket” at the state’s police union.

 

[Festerz]

State parliament has heard allegations of inappropriate behaviour and a “protection racket” at the state’s police union.

The allegations of 'abhorrent culture and intolerant behaviours' within the South Australian Police Union (Police Association of South Australia - PASA) was made by upper house Member and former local TV reporter Frank Pangallo under Parliamentary Privilege yesterday and follows similar allegations made in the SA Legislative Council by Mr Pangallo on 11 September.

Mr Pangallo read into Hansard allegations made in writing via email and letter by several female members of PASA, including the Secretary of the Police Association of South Australia, Ms Bernadette Zimmermann regarding behaviours towards herself and other female employees of the union.

The main (by by no means sole) target of the allegations concern then union president Mr Mark Carroll during 2020 and 2021.

I make no claim as to the veracity or accuracy of the allegations made in Parliament yesterday, which are available in full on the SA Parliamentary Hansard website - check out the Hansard entry for the Legislative Council sitting of Wednesday 25 September here:

Hansard Calendar Search

View all Hansard Events for the year 2024.

hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au

But I think it is important to understand at least some of the context of the allegations and how they surfaced.

Yesterday Mr Pangallo, read into Hansard a detailed statement of claims by another member of the police union staff whose name was not disclosed. That letter spans many pages and alleges that:

'The Police Association was, and unfortunately still is, an unsafe workplace for female staff. The toxic culture was led by former President Carroll, fuelled further by the Assistant Secretary, including disrespectful, offensive, belittling and derogatory language, strategic intimidation and bullying. While spearheaded by the President, other senior male figures also engaged in these behaviours by encouraging, condoning, participating in or ignoring
inappropriate behaviour towards female staff and unfavoured police officer members.'

During my employment at PASA I witnessed the former President and Assistant Secretary speak frequently about PASA staff using disrespectful, offensive, belittling, and derogatory language.'

A large number of both specific and general/hearsay allegations of that behaviour are then listed which I will not outline here for obvious reasons. And amongst them is the claim that Mr Carroll and his assistant secretary Steve Whetton re-enacted the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins in the kitchen at PASA in front of a female staff member as a form of 'black humour'.

As is in the case in other states, the SA Police Union has a strong presence in this state and has a strong relationship with the SA Police. IMHO that is in itself not unusual but may become problematic when allegations of toxic workplaces and management surface - particularly when they are aired publicly. This is especially true when accountability lines between the government executive and their police force are blurred. But that is a matter for another thread.

But I'm also of the view that the reading of lengthy (and mostly anonymous) untested and unproven allegations into Parliamentary Hansard by a politician with a strong background in tabloid outrage journalism is not necessarily a good outcome for public policy either. That too is a matter for another thread.

 

[jason_recliner]

PoS union officials? Tell me it isn't so!

 

[Festerz]

PoS union officials? Tell me it isn't so!

What it is imho is another example of absolute power corrupting absolutely with leaders focussed on internal politics and power struggles rather than the needs of their own members.

Probably the most bizarre aspect of the whole thing is that the allegations of sexism, bullying and intimidation within the SA Police Union have been led by the Union's elected Secretary Ms Bernadette Zimmerman against the (former) president, Mark Carroll who is Ms Zimmermann’s own brother.

“I Don’t Want to Speak to that F***wit”: More Allegations that SA Police Union is Full of Arrogant, Disrepectful Morons

New revelations have emerged about the highly dysfunctional Police Association of South Australia, which is now led by the shady Wade Burns. Burns was allowed to keep his job at sleazy SAPOL despite aggressively and indecently assaulting a female colleague at an Adelaide nightclub in 2017...

southaustraliapolice.com

(Edit: Kurve, feel free to delete or shift if this is getting too far off the thread subject, although it does in my opinion demonstrate yet another aspect of systemic cultural failings within police forces that we have discussed previously in this thread).

 

[Kurve]

What it is imho is another example of absolute power corrupting absolutely with leaders focussed on internal politics and power struggles rather than the needs of their own members.

Probably the most bizarre aspect of the whole thing is that the allegations of sexism, bullying and intimidation within the SA Police Union have been led by the Union's elected Secretary Ms Bernadette Zimmerman against the (former) president, Mark Carroll who is Ms Zimmermann’s own brother.

“I Don’t Want to Speak to that F***wit”: More Allegations that SA Police Union is Full of Arrogant, Disrepectful Morons

New revelations have emerged about the highly dysfunctional Police Association of South Australia, which is now led by the shady Wade Burns. Burns was allowed to keep his job at sleazy SAPOL despite aggressively and indecently assaulting a female colleague at an Adelaide nightclub in 2017...

southaustraliapolice.com

(Edit: Kurve, feel free to delete or shift if this is getting too far off the thread subject).

It's okay for now while we wait for the decision in the defamation trial and for the Toowoomba trial to start, I appreciate you filling in with a bit of context as I couldn't get in to that article straight away. Felt I had to post it though since it mentioned Higgins.

 

[Run n Spread]

It's okay for now while we wait for the decision in the defamation trial and for the Toowoomba trial to start, I appreciate you filling in with a bit of context as I couldn't get in to that article straight away. Felt I had to post it though since it mentioned Higgins.

Haven't been following this closely? When does the Toowoomba trial start? Obviously I'm assuming he's been committed to trial?

 

[Kurve]

Haven't been following this closely? When does the Toowoomba trial start? Obviously I'm assuming he's been committed to trial?

Yes, this on 4th July.

Former Liberal party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been committed to stand trial on two counts of rape.

A magistrate has ruled there was sufficient evidence to have the matter determined by a jury or a judge alone.

Bruce Lehrmann committed to stand trial on two counts of rape

The 29-year-old faces two counts of rape, alleged to have occurred in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, in October 2021.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Lady O]

Yes, this on 4th July.

Former Liberal party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been committed to stand trial on two counts of rape.

A magistrate has ruled there was sufficient evidence to have the matter determined by a jury or a judge alone.

Bruce Lehrmann committed to stand trial on two counts of rape

The 29-year-old faces two counts of rape, alleged to have occurred in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, in October 2021.

www.abc.net.au

Ok, so no more talk of "stealthing" apparently, seeing as how it wasn't illegal in Queensland until last week.

 

[Kurve]

Ok, so no more talk of "stealthing" apparently, seeing as how it wasn't illegal in Queensland until last week.

I'm not sure anybody promoted stealthing as one of the actual charges.

It's an alleged rape. She asked him to stop and he refused.

 

[Lady O]

I'm not sure anybody promoted stealthing as one of the actual charges.

It's an alleged rape. She asked him to stop and he refused.

In the beginning it was spoken of as stealthing on this thread. I seem to remember a news article about one act of consensual sex and two of non-consensual due, to him not wearing a condom or removing a condom.

 

[BFew]

The Lehrmann related legal cases just keep on piling up.
He's unstoppable.

Here's another one (currently under a suppression order review) involving a now ex-journo (Amelia Saw) from her time working on the Spotlight program.

Wouldn't be surprised if there's a few more of them that are currently totally unreported because of suppression orders (actual or under review).

Channel Seven embroiled in fresh legal saga as journalist sues

Channel Seven's list of disgruntled staff continues to grow as another journalist takes the network to court claiming she experienced a 'hostile working environment' while employed there.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Festerz]

The Lehrmann related legal cases just keep on piling up.
He's unstoppable.

Here's another one (currently under a suppression order review) involving a now ex-journo (Amelia Saw) from her time working on the Spotlight program.

In my view it's more a case of the pre-existing endemic misogynistic culture of Kerry Stokes' Seven Network, as revealed in the recent Corners program, that led it to take up the Bruce Lehrmann cause so enthusiastically in the first place.

It's a culture that is not just unique to Seven of course, but one that was damningly exposed as a result of evidence presented during the Lehrmann defamation case.

Lehrmann did not create that culture - it's one that exists across society and protected by political power and certain vocal sections of the both commercial and social media. It provides a refuge for predators of the likes of Bruce Lehrmann. Since the advent of the 'Me Too' movement and the courage of individuals and public broadcast investigative programs like the ABC's 4 Corners, it has been increasingly called out for what it is.

 

[Festerz]

It's okay for now while we wait for the decision in the defamation trial and for the Toowoomba trial to start, I appreciate you filling in with a bit of context as I couldn't get in to that article straight away. Felt I had to post it though since it mentioned Higgins.

Cheers.

And while we all wait for the next chapter in the Lehrmann/Reynolds legal saga. the NewsCorp cheerleader for Team Lehrmann/Reynolds, Janet Albrechtsen has herself decided to take a holiday. But not to worry, for the entertainment of all of us she's found a new cause to write back home about - the wokeness of safety signage in black bear territory in Canada.

I kid you not. Yes, the right wing think tank chairman and Australian columnist who last week admitted she was "never terribly interested" in what happened on the night that Brittney Higgins was r*ped but was more concerned about Bruce Lehrmann getting a fair trial has got all bothered about signs designed to keep her out of the jaws and claws of protective black bears.



For those in the TL;DR crowd, Rick Moreton gives us a good summary...

'So it was for Janet Albrechsten who, even on a pleasant Spring-time hike in Canada’s British Columbia, found the threat of officious overreach so unnerving as to be chemically lobotomised by it. Here she was, going for a simple stroll, when she saw a sign that advised her the track was ending and chose to ignore it because she was sick of rules and then promptly became lost on a mountain for several hours surrounded by bears. Terrible. Some of those bears went home that day white as ghosts because they ran into an Albrechtsen.'

 

[Kurve]

Cheers.

And while we all wait for the next chapter in the Lehrmann/Reynolds legal saga. the NewsCorp cheerleader for Team Lehrmann/Reynolds, Janet Albrechtsen has herself decided to take a holiday. But not to worry, for the entertainment of all of us she's found a new cause to write back home about - the wokeness of safety signage in black bear territory in Canada.

I kid you not. Yes, the right wing think tank chairman and Australian columnist who last week admitted she was "never terribly interested" in what happened on the night that Brittney Higgins was r*ped but was more concerned about Bruce Lehrmann getting a fair trial has got all bothered about signs designed to keep her out of the jaws and claws of protective black bears.



For those in the TL;DR crowd, Rick Moreton gives us a good summary...

'So it was for Janet Albrechsten who, even on a pleasant Spring-time hike in Canada’s British Columbia, found the threat of officious overreach so unnerving as to be chemically lobotomised by it. Here she was, going for a simple stroll, when she saw a sign that advised her the track was ending and chose to ignore it because she was sick of rules and then promptly became lost on a mountain for several hours surrounded by bears. Terrible. Some of those bears went home that day white as ghosts because they ran into an Albrechtsen.'

Very funny but I wonder if her going away is strategic. Could we expect some kind of news that might put added pressure on Albrechtsen, something in the coming week perhaps on Sofronoff?

Or the Reynolds defamation trial?