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The Deputy Prime Minister stated that he does not acknowledge the reported allegations that the Conservative Party did not handle the accusations of rape against one of their MPs appropriately.
During Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister, Oliver Dowden, who was the chairman of the Tory Party, stated in an interview with Times Radio that it was not a matter that he had dealt with personally.
The individual stated that the Tories and the UK Government have no tolerance for sexual misconduct.
After reports surfaced that Sir Jake Berry, a previous chairman of the Conservative Party, had contacted the police regarding concerns that allegations of rape against a Member of Parliament were mishandled, it was revealed that the MP was able to continue offending.
According to Mr. Dowden who was a guest on the BBC’s Sunday show with Laura Kuenssberg, the accusations are extremely grave and the party is treating them with utmost importance.
The Cabinet minister stated on the show that he does not acknowledge the notion that we concealed anything.
According to a letter obtained by the Mail On Sunday, an MP (Member of Parliament) who remains unnamed has reportedly assaulted five individuals with minimal repercussions. The allegations against this individual include multiple accusations of rape.
In his letter, Sir Jake informed the police that he became aware of the reported attacks when he learned that the Conservative party had paid for the treatment of one of the alleged victims at a private hospital.
The Member of Parliament’s identity has not been disclosed. However, according to the letter, they were allowed to maintain their position in Parliament despite the incidents of rape and assault.
On Sunday, Mr. Dowden informed broadcasters that he was unaware of the identity of the individual in question.
During Liz Truss’s brief time as leader last year, Sir Jake served as party chairman.
According to reports, Sir Jake wrote a letter after stepping down as chairman in October 2022. His office was contacted by PA news agency for a statement.
As the leader of the Conservative Party, I did not authorize any payments of this nature. This discussion appears to be an attempt to conceal something on a large scale.
The second highest ranking government official, Oliver Dowden, is the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Mail On Sunday released portions of the letter, which was allegedly signed by both Sir Jake and former chief whip Wendy Morton.
According to reports, a message was sent to the police stating that the duo learned of a number of accusations against a member of Parliament, referred to as X, upon assuming their new positions in the party.
A section of the letter states: “There could potentially be five individuals harmed by X, who have suffered various crimes including multiple instances of rape.”
The letter also states that X has been able to continue offending due to the inaction of others, and that the reported incidents of rape and assault have been occurring for over two years.
Mr Dowden, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s deputy, was Tory chairman from September 2021 to June last year, resigning after by-election defeats in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.
In an interview with Times Radio, Mr Dowden stated that he did not approve any payments to victims during his time as chairman, but he could not definitively say that it did not occur.
“I can confidently state that I, as the chairman of the Conservative Party, did not approve any payments such as this. This discussion is not an attempt to conceal any wrongdoing,” he stated on the radio.
As the chairman of the Conservative Party, I did not come across this matter.
”
This could potentially be true.
I’m not denying that the payments may have been made, but I did not authorize them or include them as part of my role as chairman of the Conservative Party.
During his time as chairman, he made it very clear that any allegations should be reported to the police.
“Additionally, I made it abundantly clear, both personally and as a representative of the government, that we have a strict policy of no tolerance towards this type of behavior – without exception,” he stated.
Nadhim Zahawi, who took over as party chairman after Sir Jake before being fired by Mr Sunak in January due to a probe into his tax matters, declined to respond when questioned about his knowledge of the accusations made by his predecessor.
The previous leader, in a message released to PA, stated: “There are very grave accusations in the recent coverage, which may pertain to an ongoing inquiry and it would thus be unsuitable to make a statement on.”
I urge any individual who has been a victim of a crime to seek help from the police and collaborate with them to ensure that justice is served.
David Davis, a long-standing member of the Conservative party and former Brexit secretary, stated that concealing allegations of rape would be considered a separate criminal act and should be handled by the police.
The Conservative Party has stated that they will not provide any comments.
Source: independent.co.uk
