Brittany Higgins in ‘tug of war’ over ‘desperately’ wanting to report alleged rape and wanting to keep job, court told

Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial also hears Higgins was ‘hysterical’ when she heard possibility of media inquiry about alleged assault being raised at Senate estimates

Brittany Higgins “desperately did want to report” her alleged rape but she did not want to lose her “dream job” in politics, a rape crisis counsellor has told the federal court.

At the end of the third week of the defamation trial, the counsellor, Catherine Cripps, said Higgins was in an emotional “tug of war” between “I want to report but I want my job”.