- Woman claims Tories failed to investigate sexual assault allegations against MP
A woman who claims she was the victim of a ‘serious sexual assault’ by a Tory MP has slammed party chiefs for ‘failing to formally investigate her complaint’ to protect its own reputation.
The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reportedly told Conservative whips about the attack almost as soon as it happened but no action was taken.
Conservative HQ paid £15,000 for her to get medical treatment at a private hospital because her mental health worsened so much after the attack.
The woman has said she is still upset that Tory bosses have not investigated the MP and that she thinks the poor handling of sexual misconduct complaints puts people at risk.
She said she wants changes to be made so a case like hers ‘never happens again’, she told The Guardian.
A woman who claims she was the victim of a ‘serious sexual assault’ by a Tory MP has slammed party chiefs for ‘failing to formally investigate her complaint’ to protect its own reputation (file photo of the Houses of Parliament)
The alleged victim told the paper that the Conservative party‘s complaints system is ‘opaque’ and needs immediate change but said that will not happen if it is ‘more concerned with covering stuff like this up than the welfare of those involved’.
She said that any other organisation would have processes to deal with similar issues that could be implemented immediately even if the victim was not ‘brave enough to go to the police’.
She said that under the current leadership of the Tory party ‘I have felt I became the problem, not a person’, which she said has done nearly as much harm to her mental health as the alleged sexual assault.
The woman told The Guardian that several people ‘heard’ her and tried to fight the Conservative party for her. She said a small number of women from the two main parties supported her emotionally in their own time.
She said she was grateful for the party paying for her to get treatment at a private hospital but that she was assured that information would remain private but that ‘unfortunately it was not and was reported by the press’ last year.
The Guardian reports that police told the alleged victim that senior Tories, including in the whips’ office and at the party headquarters, know of the allegations against the MP.
She said she made a complaint, in person, to the whips and said that she wanted it to be investigated.
It was reported that days later she got a handwritten note from a Tory whip who said she should speak to the police, but she did not feel comfortable speaking to them at the time.
The note also gave details of a charity that could help her.
The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reportedly told Conservative whips about the attack almost as soon as it happened but no action was taken (stock photo)
The MP had the Conservative whip withdrawn after the woman reported the allegations to the police, although she has since withdrawn from the investigation due to the stress it has caused her.
The MP is being investigated for separate allegations, the police have said. But he has not been arrested and has previously denied any allegations.
A Conservative party spokesperson told The Guardian: ‘We have an established code of conduct and formal processes where complaints can be made in confidence. The party considers all complaints made under the code of conduct, but does not conduct investigations where the party would not be considered to have primary jurisdiction over another authority, such as the police.
‘Where the party becomes aware of a complaint relating to possible criminal activity, we encourage the complainant to report this to the police. Additionally, for matters pertaining to parliament, the ICGS [independent complaints and grievance system] is an independent body set up by parliament, and the Conservative party respects its processes.’
A police spokesperson said a number of non-recent allegations relating to the MP were being investigated. ‘A man has been voluntarily interviewed in connection with an investigation into allegations of serious sexual assault,’ they said.
‘We would also remind everyone that victims of sexual offences are entitled to lifelong anonymity, regardless of how a case proceeds.’