Arabic version: ليهرمان يسعى للوصول إلى لقطات وثائقية في قضية الاغتصاب

Bruce Lehrmann is charged with two counts of rape, alleged to have occurred in Toowoomba in October 2021. His lawyer, Zali Burrows, argues that the footage is crucial for understanding the context of Higgins’s statements, which she claims could influence the jury pool in Queensland.

According to ABC News, the application was presented in Toowoomba District Court, where Judge Deborah Richards has reserved her decision. Lehrmann has not yet been required to enter a plea in relation to the Toowoomba rape charges but has indicated he will plead not guilty.

Burrows’s application seeks material related to the film titled “Silenced,” including any raw footage and the film’s international production schedule. The filmmaker’s representative stated the documentary focuses on Higgins’s experiences and other cases, not directly on the charges against Lehrmann.

Burrows expressed concern that Higgins’s promotion of the film on social media could confuse potential jurors. She highlighted previous statements made by Higgins regarding the Toowoomba case, suggesting they could sway public perception.

The filmmaker’s counsel, Dauid Sibtain SC, argued that the footage would not be relevant to Lehrmann’s case and that the film’s content has already been subject to public scrutiny. He emphasized that any order to produce the footage would be “futile” and unnecessary for the ongoing proceedings. The court awaits Judge Richards’s ruling on the matter.