UPDATE:

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has returned to the Senate just hours after making claims about a Coalition Senator “harassing” and “sexually assaulting” her to retract her statement.

Ms Thorpe told the Senate that she would speak further on the matter on Thursday morning.

EARLIER:

Lidia Thorpe has accused a Liberal senator of sexual assault during the senate.

Thorpe interjected during Victorian senator David Van’s speech about Labor’s handling of the Brittany Higgins case, and alleged she had been harassed and assaulted by Van.

Van has denied the allegations.