A FORMER parliamentary aide has claimed that a Tory MP "did nothing" after she said she was sexually assaulted by him while working in the Commons last year.
She also said that when she reported the assault to Mark Spencer, the chief whip, he took no action against the MP.
The Times reported that is understood that Spencer does not believe that a sexual assault was reported to him in their conversation, but acknowledges that she reported abusive behaviour and threats.
The woman, who is in her early twenties, said: “Our conversation was brief. He didn’t seem interested in the details of the allegations but spent most of the time saying how I shouldn’t worry about the threats. His response was, ‘Well don’t worry, because the MP won’t actually carry out those threats’.
“I asked to speak to him again and raised complaints that he wasn’t taking this seriously and he just had his [special adviser] send me a message saying I should go to [the independent complaints and grievance scheme].
“He never suggested I should go to the police. In fact I asked him when he would withdraw the whip, he first said when he had a police report, then changed it to a charge, then he said ultimately he’d need a conviction.”
She said: “I felt like he did not take me seriously or recognise the severity of what had happened.”
A spokesman for Spencer said: “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.”
The woman intends to pursue her case with the police and through parliament’s independent process.
Elizabeth Filkin, a former parliamentary commissioner for standards, said: “If someone has reported anything constituting a criminal offence the whip should advise them to go to the police, now or when they feel ready.
“It’s certainly not appropriate for them to do nothing, regardless of what independent procedures are in place.”
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