A high-profile rape case that sparked nationwide protests across Australia ended abruptly in a court case on Thursday, the latest twist in a courtroom saga involving some of the country’s most senior politicians.

Brittany Higgins, 27, claimed former Conservative staffer Bruce Lehrmann, 27, raped her on a couch in a government minister’s Parliament office after a night of drinking in March 2019.

Lehrmann denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to one count of having sex without consent.

The jury — eight women and four men — had been deliberating for five days when Chief Justice Lucy McCallum dismissed them, declaring a mistrial on technical grounds.

McCallum said court sheriffs found prohibited material — namely, a scientific paper on sexual assault — in a jury member’s briefcase.

“Sometimes there’s a mishap that leads to a miscarriage of a process, like what happened here,” McCallum said.

A new trial should begin in February.

The allegations came to light in early 2021 and – fueled by intense publicity and the global #MeToo movement – sparked an angry public backlash in Australia.

Shortly after the broadcast, around 100,000 people across the country demonstrated against sexual violence.

Five separate investigations followed, which together delivered a damning indictment of the often sexist nature of Australian politics.

Judge McCallum had described the case being heard in Australia’s capital Canberra as a “cause celebre” and warned the jury not to ignore the public’s blizzard.

Lehrmann’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to delay the trial after former Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized to Higgins during a parliamentary session.

Lawyers said the apology could jeopardize Lehrmann’s right to a fair trial.

Two cabinet ministers from Australia’s former Conservative government were summoned to testify.

They were asked whether political considerations played a role in keeping the allegations out of the public eye.

Senator Linda Reynolds – Higgins’ boss at the time of the alleged rape – denied coaching defense attorneys during cross-examination.

Prosecutors had questioned whether Reynolds was trying to help the defense team because the allegations were politically embarrassing.

Senator Michaelia Cash – a former attorney general – told the court it would have been “political suicide” to cover up the case.