Former prime minister Scott Morrison has defended Senator Linda Reynolds’ handling of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape, in his evidence to a defamation trial.

Reynolds is suing Higgins for defamation over social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she claims damaged her reputation.

On Tuesday, Morrison told a Perth court that support was provided to Higgins after her alleged rape in 2019 in the Senator’s ministerial office, but the parliamentary processes had failed.

“I believe that they had done everything they possibly could within the processes they had to support Ms Higgins,” he told the Western Australian Supreme Court via video-link.

“Ultimately those processes have failed and she felt the way that she felt, and that has never been in dispute.”

Morrison said processes were later improved to provide complainants with access to independent and confidential counselling.

“That’s where I saw the great weakness in the system … that obviously let Ms Higgins down, but it also let down Minister Reynolds and her staff in seeking to deal with this issue,” he said.

“Everyone wanted to see this issue dealt with at that time.”

Asked if he was disappointed that he wasn’t told about the rape allegation until 2021, Morrison said: “Yes, initially I was. But, as events transpired, Senator Reynolds chose not to do that … out of respect for the confidence that they’d entered into with Ms Higgins”.

Morrison said he learned about the incident and the security breach that led to Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann being in Reynolds’ office on the same day the former staffer’s allegations about mishandling the incident became public.

“I undertook a series of briefings … through my staff … and sought to bring myself up to date as I prepared to face questions in the parliament,” he said.

Morrison described the political firestorm that followed as aggressive and co-ordinated, agreeing Reynolds was “attacked”.

“It was intending to discredit her,” he said.

“It was the weaponising of this issue for political purposes to discredit both Senator Reynolds … and the government – and by extension myself.”

Asked about what was alleged during the attack, Morrison said: “[That] the government was involved in the cover-up of this issue, which was completely and utterly false, without any foundation.”

The former Liberal leader recalled the effect on Reynolds, who he described as a friend for more than 20 years, saying she suffered significant anguish.

“I went and saw Linda immediately after question time … she was sitting in the whip’s office in a very distressed state.

“I provided her comfort as a friend but also as her prime minister and leader, and expressed my strong support for her.”

Morrison said Reynolds had physical and mental symptoms that were distressing to witness.

“She was quite visibly, physically stressed and in a highly fragile, emotional state at that point,” he said.

“I was unaware of her cardiac condition. This was brought to my attention with her permission some time later, and that only deepened my concern.

“I remember for a period there we were very fearful for Senator Reynolds [that] this could be a fatal outcome for her.”

Lehrmann has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.

Higgins is due to fly from her home in France to testify in court later in August.

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-AAP