Liberal Democrats refer rape allegation to police and suspend party member pending investigation
An activist has claimed that the allegation was badly dealt with and only referred to police once the the issue became public
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The Liberal Democrats have been pulled into the sexual harassment storm tearing through Westminster, with officials referring a rape allegation to the police and suspending a party member pending further investigation.
A spokesman argued that the the Lib Dems have a “robust complaints procedure” as he confirmed the referral to police, but it came amid claims that the alleged offence was known about for some time by party officials and hushed up.
Yesterday a new website called LibDemsToo – set up to allow people to share stories of harassment in the party – also saw activists making a series of serious claims of sexual assault.
The rape claim is the latest turn in a spiralling Westminster sexual harassment scandal, which has dragged in MPs from both the Conservative and Labour parties too.
A Lib Dem spokesman said: “These allegations were referred to the police for investigation. A member of the party is suspended pending the outcome of that investigation.
“If an allegation is made against a party member, the disciplinary procedure is triggered immediately with an investigator talking to witnesses.
“If someone has an allegation of a criminal nature against a member of the party, we would urge them to go to the police. If they were unable to do so, we would refer it to the police on their behalf.”
The spokesman said the party has “a clear and robust complaints procedure” and that it took all complaints “extremely seriously”, before urging people to come forward.
But tweets from activist Sophia Nash claimed the response had been slow and poorly handled.
She claimed allegations had been made by a series of different people about the individual without action being taken.
The LibDemsToo website already has a string of testimonies from party activists setting out claims of harassment in the party.
One activist tells how they went out with a group of people from the Lib Dem’s famous Glee Club, but then woke up the next morning “in the hotel room of one of these ‘friends’ with him gone, and all of my clothes on the floor.”
The individual went on: “I still have no idea exactly what he did to me, or if the other guys from the group knew what happened.”
Another said: “I was witness to a sexual assault, the perpetrator of which had also sexually harassed me. After reporting it to the party, I was told that my statement had been acknowledged.
“I never heard anything more back from the party. No follow-up, no update on the progress of the investigation, nothing. I didn’t feel comfortable pressing for information as I feared the answers. As far as I know, the perpetrator is still a party member. Only a few months ago I saw a photo of them campaigning with an ex-MP. Another case brushed under the carpet.”
A party spokesman added: ”Our party has a clear and robust complaints procedure, set out on our website. We take any such complaints extremely seriously. We would urge anyone who believes that they have been subject to sexual harassment or any other form of inappropriate behaviour by a party member to make a complaint to our pastoral care officer.”
On Monday morning a former Conservative activist also claimed she was ignored after raising concerns with Parliament’s authorities over an alleged rape and the “toxic” Westminster culture.
She reported that she was raped by an employee of a Conservative MP, telling the BBC: “I was raped by someone senior to me in the Conservative party. It was violent. It wasn’t in Westminster, it was in my home.
“And it shouldn’t have happened. I remember the attack, during the attack. I remember the room disappearing around me and thinking I was going to die.”
Leading Labour activist Bex Bailey has also said she was raped at an event being run by her party in 2011.
Talking openly about the incident, she said: “It took me a while to summon up the courage to tell anyone in the party, but when I did, I told a senior member of staff who told me ... it was suggested to me that I not report it.
“I was told that if I did it might damage me.”
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