Vile trolls turn on Brittany Higgins claiming her lavish wedding at $20million luxury estate had been ‘taxpayer-funded’ after she pocketed $2.4million compensation payout – but not everyone was attacking her
Trolls have launched a stinging attack on the rape victim Brittany Higgins after marrying fiancé David Sharaz in an intimate ceremony Queensland.
Ms Higgins received $2.4 million in compensation from the Commonwealth in December 2022 after claiming she was raped by a colleague Bruce Lehrmann in a ministerial office.
A civil court determined on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Ms. Higgins.
Nearly seven weeks after the ruling, on the eve of Mrs. Higgins’ big day, Lehrmann decided to appeal the decision, leading to criticism from female rights campaigners who questioned the timing of that move.
Now Ms Higgins is once again in the line of fire, with critics lashing out at the expense of her dream day and questioning “whether taxpayers” funded the wedding with the compensation payment she received.
Trolls have launched a stinging attack on rape victim Brittany Higgins after she got married in an intimate ceremony in Queensland
The payment she received consisted of several components, mainly loss of future income and earning capacity, medical expenses, legal fees, domestic assistance costs and $400,000 “for pain, suffering and humiliation.”
She and Mr Sharaz moved to a small village in France after facing continued intense media and public criticism in Australia, but returned to her home state of Queensland for the wedding.
In the wake of her big day on Saturday, trolls took to social media over the weekend to question whether taxpayers had funded the lavish wedding celebrations.
They claimed she used her compensation payout to fund the event.
However, it is not clear whether Ms Higgins paid, or whether her parents or someone else footed the bill.
“Of course she’s beaming: the Australian taxpayer paid for the wedding,” a Daily Mail Australia reader claimed in response to news of the wedding.
Another posted on social media: ‘Higgins and Shiraz are getting married in a six-figure wedding. It’s quite expensive for two people not working.’
Another added: “Even Judge Michael Lee, who presided over the defamation trial, said her payout was based on her series of lies about a government cover-up.”
But well-wishers were equally critical of the criticism Ms Higgins faced on her big day.
“They both deserve a wonderfully happy life,” said another.
‘I hope this day is a beautiful celebration of their lives and future together. The last few years have been so challenging and this celebration is well deserved.”
Set in three acres of landscaped gardens, The Valley Estate is, according to its website, the ‘epitome of luxury’. ‘A bespoke, one-off space designed to inspire celebration and reflection with loved ones.’
For a Saturday wedding in 2024, the venue charges a minimum spend of $47,750 for the venue’s many offerings.
According to the current price list, packages start at $35,750 for 50 guests and go up to $52,000 for 100 guests.
This includes the ceremony location, reception area and basic food and drink arrangements.
Couples get exclusive access to the entire estate for wedding photos and golf carts to get around in, as well as a playing field, security and a wedding coordinator, according to the brochure.
The eye-watering cost does not include use of the guest house, which costs $1,300 per night from Friday through Sunday. Couples can also add an oyster bar for an additional $28 per person, or a seafood grazing table for $60 per person.
For a Saturday wedding in 2024, the venue charges a minimum spend of $47,750 for the venue’s many offerings
A champagne tower costs $650 for five tiers and $950 for six, while the top drinks package, which includes a selection of cocktails and spritzes as well as premium spirits, costs an additional $200 per person.
The minimum spend does not include outside expenses, meaning the cost of a photographer, celebrant, flowers or outfits for the couple must be paid on top of the minimum $47,750.
The average cost of a wedding in Australia can range from $25,000 to $65,000, but the cost of Ms Higgins’ wedding is estimated at around $100,000.
There were no politicians or celebrities at the wedding, but former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins was present, along with television producer Judi McCrossin who bought the production rights to Ms Higgins’ unpublished memoirs.
Ms Higgins’ wedding date was revealed in the WA Supreme Court last week, amid Linda Reynolds’ defamation case against her over social media posts that she claims have damaged her reputation.
Outside court, Ms Reynolds’ lawyer Martin Bennett said last week that he had made a request to obtain a copy of documentation relating to a trust account in her name.
The application will seek to determine who the trustee is and who should bring charges in the event Ms Higgins says she cannot pay damages if she loses the case.
Last month, Mr Sharaz withdrew from Ms Reynolds’ defamation action against him because he could not afford it.
He has been ordered to pay Ms Reynolds’ legal costs. If he goes bankrupt, he may not be able to return to France.
