London:
A former UK minister and sitting Conservative Party lawmaker, who has not been named as he is yet to be charged, is out on bail after being arrested on suspicion of rape. According to ‘The Sunday Times’, the allegations of rape against the parliamentarian were made by a former employee who alleges that the lawmaker assaulted her, forced her to have sex and left her so traumatised that she had to go to hospital.
“On Friday, July 31, the Metropolitan Police Service received allegations relating to four separate incidents involving allegations of sexual offences and assault,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. “These offences are alleged to have occurred at addresses in Westminster, Lambeth and Hackney between July 2019 and January 2020. A man in his 50s was arrested on Saturday, August 1 on suspicion of rape. He has been released on bail to return on a date in mid-August,” the statement said.
The ruling Conservative Party said it takes such allegations “extremely seriously”. “We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously. As this matter is now in the hands of the police it would be inappropriate to comment further,” a party spokesperson said.
The reports, which first appeared in the newspaper, claim that some allegations were raised with the party’s chief whip Mark Spencer and with Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons some weeks ago. It is understood that Spencer told the woman to make a formal complaint to parliamentary authorities, who would investigate. She later went to the police.
“The chief whip takes all allegations of harassment and abuse extremely seriously and has strongly encouraged anybody who has approached him to contact the appropriate authorities, including Parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme, which can formally carry out independent and confidential investigations,” a statement from Spencer’s office said..
