I agree, it's a good thing the Brittany Higgins case is finally over. It has dragged on for far too long and never looked like achieving anything more than the ruination of two young lives. As pointed out by Taswegian, many of us can look back on various drink-fuelled trysts in our younger years with a good deal of regret. It's something you get over and learn from. You quietly put it behind you and make sure it never happens again.

I sent this to the Australian Editor recently (not printed):
"ACT DPP Shane Drumgold appears to give no weight to the trauma experienced by Bruce Lehrman in facing charges which as far as we know might be completely fabricated."

I think that there are also echoes here of the Rolfe case. Rolfe and his colleague were suddenly attacked, one of them stabbed. This was in the dark, where they did not immediately reaqlise that they were facing the suspect they were looking for. Rolfe fired three quick shots in response - the whole incident occurred over only a few seconds.

The general rule when armed and subject to a potentially lethal attack with a weapon is to fire until the threat is neutralised; which is what Rolfe did. This seems to be another case where prosecution was pursued in the absence of compelling evidence, and Rolfe continues to suffer for it.

Together with the Queensland lab scandal, one has to worry as to the mindset of those allegedly administering the law.

Well, what did we expect, given it was Miss Higgens on trial and retraumatized by the system and the "Boys club"! A club which clearly includes the Author.

This needs never to happen again given we can and do not test the veracity of the evidence with technology, we could deploy yesterday. But for intransigent, intractable, incalcitrant legal resistance, in an industry which would see their rivers of gold, dry up to a trickle, if we did.

And in my view, the only possible reason for not completely and fully testing evidence with currently available, unbeatable, space age, covertly deployable, lie detection!

Which would have proven innocence or guilt beyond even the scaric of a grain of a molecule of doubt.

Instead, we badger, bully, pillory and trash the reputations of the witnesses and put them on public trial, which can as does harm them for life.

This is justice writ large in this completely contemptable archaic medieval adversarial system, we call justice in this country.
Alan B.

It was wrong from the very start.
People tend to think in terms of black and white?
One of the parties must be grittily guilty, and the other as pure as a princess?
That is rarely the case.
It always takes two to tango.

In most reported crimes, the 'victim' is treated as blameless.
This just isn't so.
Read carefully, and you will see that the 'victim' contributed to an incident.
And should thus share a portion of the blame.
Irresponsible persons should not benefit from public solicitude.

In this instance, if I remember rightly, it was reported they both drank (too much?) alcohol.
This would be especially significant for a female, as she would be PUTTING HERSELF in a highly 'exposed' state.
If anything did happen as a result, she would thus have helped to make it happen?
So both parties should share responsibility for an unfortunate outcome?
This alleged scenario was not black and white?

Sometimes the public will get the bit between its collective teeth, and run with it.
To the detriment of many.
This happens far too often.
Let us be more critical, and apportion any 'blame' correctly?
And the public must accept that a person not convicted of a crime is innocent of that crime.
And he must be treated as innocent.

If she does win 3 million? does that imply she was right all along? For mine, taking advantage of an inebriated friend is not on. Instead, we gentlemen need to protect them from themselves and our natural lust.

Yes, hard but not impossible, even if an erection has no conscience.

One can and does retain control until penetration. And desirable in days where aids roams at will. Or an unwanted pregnancy becomes the outcome of a stupid and preventable, one night stand. That then could become a life sentence for the unwilling incubator.

One looks out for a friend and colleague, rather than taking advantage of them that can and does have whole of life consequences and regret. If it happened to your daughter or sister or wife? What then? Still ok bro.
Alan B.

Mothers…raise your children to be women.

Dan