The Project called out for ignoring Brittany Higgins rape case inquiry

• By Avi Yemini

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Channel 10’s The Project has completely ignored an inquiry into the handling of Brittany Higgins’ rape case despite being the first media outlet to interview her when the story broke.

The nightly program did not make any mention of the Sofronoff inquiry last week which has dominated news headlines since it began last Monday.

The Project’s silence on the inquiry has raised questions about the neutrality of the program’s news coverage.

The inquiry has highlighted legal failings that might have compromised a fair trial for the accused, Bruce Lehrmann.

The Project was an early supporter of Higgins, with former co-host Lisa Wilkinson airing an exclusive interview in which the former Liberal staffer alleged that she had been raped by a male colleague, later identified as Bruce Lehrmann.

Lehrmann has always denied the allegations. Charges against him were dropped after his rape trial was aborted. The prosecution subsequently ruled out a retrial because of concerns about Higgins’ mental health.

The Australian newspaper reported this week that it had contacted Channel 10 numerous times for comment on why The Project had not mentioned the inquiry but had not received any response.

While the Sofronoff inquiry was ignored on The Project, the show did provide ongoing coverage of other legal cases, including the jailing of former Parramatta footballer Jarryd Hayne who was sentenced to four years and nine months prison for sexual assault.