Westminster staffer claims she 'reported MP sexual assault four times but was ignored' as sex pest scandal deepens

The Westminster staffer alleged the sexual assault happened in a hotel room on a trip to Europe.
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Francesca Gillett1 November 2017

A Westminster staffer has claimed Parliament "turned a blind eye” after she reported being sexually assaulted by an MP.

The claim comes amid allegations against numerous MPs and ministers caught up in Westminster's "sex pest" scandal.

The staffer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not disclose which party the politician belonged to.

She claims she reported the alleged incident four times but no action was taken.

According to the Daily Mail, the MP forced himself on her in a hotel room during a work trip to Europe last year.

The alleged victim said: “He was quite insistent on me sitting on the bed, to the point where he pushed me on the bed and held me by the shoulders and tried to kiss me.

“I made it very clear that was not what I wanted, but he was insistent, and pushed me back on to the bed and kind of held me there. The shock soon turned into fear, I realised I was in quite a vulnerable situation...with someone a lot bigger and stronger than me.”

She eventually managed to fight him off and fled the room. The alleged victim and a senior colleague reported the incident to the police, the Parliamentary standards commissioner, the MP's party and House of Commons authority.

Westminster has been hit with a string of alarming allegations.
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But Parliament refused to act, the woman claimed. She told the newspaper that officials “at best turned a blind eye and at worst actively covered it up”.

The PM pledged to begin cross-party talks to set up a support team and confidential helpline so victims can come forward and report abuse.

MPs found guilty of sexual misconduct could have their whips withdrawn while ministers would face being sacked from Cabinet, Ms Leadsom said.

Andrea Leadsom unveiled her plan of action to overhaul the complaints procedure in Parliament last week.
Parliament TV

The alleged victim in this case said she spoke out because she felt the proposals were “inadequate”.

According to the Mail, the police said they could not investigate because the incident took place in another country while the Parliamentary standards commissioner had no power to act because the complainant was employed directly by an MP.

Speaking to the Guardian, she said: “I was so shocked that they basically didn't want to know. I felt so alone, how could they not care?

“We also notified the party. But they did nothing ... [They] made no commitment to investigate, respond, do anything and sure enough we never heard any response from them.”

The Mail reported a spokeswoman for the standards commissioner said she “takes all such allegations seriously” but has no power to act because of a limited remit.

A Commons spokesman said: “The house is limited in its ability to intervene in employment matters as MPs employ their staff directly.”

The MP’s party was also contacted for comment by the Mail.

The latest allegation comes amid a string of claims against high profile politicians of sexual harassment and assault.

A leaked document, believed to be created by Westminster staffers, showed 36 MPs including some ministers, accused of sexual harassment including one politician who was described as “handsy at parties” and another “perpetually intoxicated”.

Many female MPs have spoken out about the so-called "toxic" environment within Westminster, with sexism being around for decades.

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