“I chose to speak up. To speak up against rape,speak up against injustice,to speak up and share my experiences with others. I told the truth,no matter how uncomfortable or unflattering,to the court.
“Today’s outcome does not change that truth. When I did speak up,I never fully understood how asymmetrical the criminal justice system is,but I do now.
“I was required to tell the truth under oath for over a week in the witness stand and was cross-examined at length. He was afforded the choice of staying silent in court,head down in a notebook,completely detached. He never faced one question in court about his story and the criminal charges.
“I was required to surrender my telephones,my passwords,messages,photos and my data to him. He was not required to produce his telephone,his passwords,messages,photos or his data.
“My life has been publicly scrutinised,open for the world to see. His was not. Many of you in the media have been called out for labelling the last few weeks ‘the Higgins trial’. But I don’t blame you because it’s very clear who has been on trial. He hasn’t had to be publicly accountable for his actions or any part of his story.
“This is the reality of how complainants in sexual assault cases are treated. Their lives are torn apart,their friends and families are called to the witness stand and the accused has the legal right to say absolutely nothing.
“Like all women who experience sexual violence,I knew the odds were stacked against me. The criminal justice system has long failed to deliver outcomes to victims of sexual assault.