PM says MP rape claims are 'serious' & urges anyone with evidence to call cops | The Sun
SHOCK claims of a serial Tory rapist are "very serious" and anyone with evidence should call the cops, Rishi Sunak said today.
The PM spoke for the first time following allegations that one of his MPs committed numerous sexual assaults.
Ex-party chairman Sir Jake Berry reportedly wrote to the police last year accusing the unnamed MP of raping as many as five victims.
Questions are now being asked of what the Conservative Party knew and what action was taken.
Pressed on the claims today, Mr Sunak said: "These are very serious, anonymous allegations.
"It may be that they allude to something that is already the subject of a live police investigation, so I hope you understand it wouldn't be right for me to comment on that further specifically.
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"More broadly the Conservative Party has robust independent complaint procedures in place, but I would say to anybody who has information or evidence about any criminal acts to of course talk to police, that's the right course of action."
He spoke out on a trip to Bacton Gas Terminal in Norfolk as he battled another sleaze storm.
Yesterday Oliver Dowden insisted he did not cover up sex attack allegations when he was party chairman.
The Deputy PM spoke out after a bombshell letter by one of his successors.
The letter to police investigators claimed that only limited action had been taken against a serial rapist MP — despite numerous allegations.
Mr Dowden said: “Any allegation of sexual misconduct I take extremely seriously.
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“The Conservative Party has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. We have an independent complaints mechanism that investigates any allegations.”
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said if there had been a cover up of rape claims it would be a “criminal offence in its own right”.
When asked by Sky News if the issue had been brushed aside, Mr Dowden said: “I can assure you categorically it was not the case that when I was chairman of the party that I covered up any allegations.”
Ex-party chairman Sir Jake Berry uncovered the allegations when he found out one of the assault victims received treatment at a private hospital paid out of party coffers.
His letter to the police, written jointly with ex-Chief Whip Wendy Morton, claimed up to five victims were subjected to offences including multiple rapes.
It also stated that limited action allowed the alleged perpetrator to carry on offending.
When asked about hospital payments, Mr Dowden said: “It’s not something that I authorised.”
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