An alleged victim of serious sexual assault by a Tory MP has accused the party’s central government of putting its reputation above her welfare after failing to formally investigate her claims. accused of being
The woman, who must remain anonymous for legal reasons, claims she told party leaders about the alleged attack almost immediately, but no internal investigation was conducted.
Her mental state subsequently deteriorated and Conservative Party headquarters paid £15,000 for her to receive treatment in a private hospital.
Speaking to the media for the first time, the woman said she remains angry that party leaders did not investigate MPs and said the party’s poor response to accusations of sexual misconduct continues to put the public at risk. He said he believed that
“I want to make sure that changes are made so that something like this never happens again,” she told the Guardian. “The complaints system is incredibly opaque. It needs to change now, but it will never change as long as the party continues to be more interested in covering up things like this than the welfare of those involved.
“If an individual comes to us with an issue like this, no other major organization will take any action. Immediate enforcement will take place, regardless of whether the person involved has the courage to go to the police. Processes and procedures will be in place.”
The woman said she told party representatives about the incident “almost immediately…but no action was taken.” It felt like the central party system cared about nothing but protecting its own reputation.
“I was very concerned about how many people would be similarly affected in the past, or sadly in the future. And under the current leadership, unlike previous administrations,, I feel like I’ve become a problem instead of a person, and that’s affecting my health almost as much as the first incident. ”
But the woman said that when she first came forward, she felt “heard” by several people fighting on her behalf against a “non-existent Tory system”.
“A few women from both major political parties supported me morally, but it was not part of their job, it was in their own time, and I will forever be grateful to them. will be grateful to.
“I also thanked the Center Party for their support in paying for me to go to a private hospital. I was sure it would be private, but unfortunately it was not and it was reported by the media. .”
It was first reported last year that the Conservative Party had paid for the alleged victim’s treatment.
The Guardian understands that police have confirmed to the alleged victim that several senior party officials, including the whip’s office and party headquarters, were aware of her allegations.
The woman said she had made a formal complaint directly to the Conservative party’s office and then made it clear she wanted an investigation.
Within days of calling the police, the woman received a handwritten note from her then-whipping officer on a piece of paper with a heading advising her to contact the police. At the time, she didn’t feel comfortable going to the police. They also gave details of her charity work that benefits her girlfriend.
She said she then spoke to the current head of the whip, Simon Hart, and was told that the whip could not be removed unless she made a formal complaint to police.
She claimed that Hart suggested that if she did not do so, she would bear some of the blame if subsequent allegations arose. A person close to Mr. Hart denied the allegations and suggested he acted quickly.
Oliver Dowden, who is currently Rishi Sunak’s deputy prime minister, is thought to have been aware of the allegations when he was party chairman. A source close to Dowden said: “These very serious allegations against Oliver Dowden have never been raised by police or anyone else at any point.”
Mr Dowden has previously denied that his party covered up allegations against one of its members, and particularly rejected the idea that there was any cover-up during his time in government.
After the woman reported the accusations to police, the MP was stripped of her Conservative whip and agreed to stay away from Parliament House. The woman said she subsequently removed herself from the police investigation due to the added stress of the situation.
Police said they are investigating other charges against the deputy. He has not been arrested and has previously denied any wrongdoing.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “We have an established code of conduct and a formal process by which complaints can be made confidentially. Parties will consider all complaints made under the code of conduct. will not conduct an investigation if the party is not considered to have primary jurisdiction over another authority, such as the police.
“If a party becomes aware of an allegation of possible criminal activity, we encourage the complainant to report this to the police. In addition, for parliamentary matters, ICGS [independent complaints and grievance system] is an independent body established by Parliament and the Conservative Party respects that process. ”
A police spokesperson said a number of non-recent allegations against the congressman were under investigation. “A man is being voluntarily interviewed in connection with an investigation into serious sexual assault allegations,” they said.
“We would also like to remind everyone that victims of sexual crimes have the right to remain anonymous for life, regardless of the progress of their cases.”
