THE Conservatives are facing allegations they covered up for a serial rapist MP and made “support” payments to one alleged victim.
Former party chairman Jake Berry wrote to police about the MP – who has been called X for legal reasons – last year, the Mail on Sunday reports.
In the letter, he said the party believed there were five alleged victims and that the “failure of others to act has enabled X to continue to offend and victimise women”.
The letter was reportedly co-authored by former chief whip Wendy Morton and was written after Berry (below) left the party chairman role following the end of Liz Truss’s brief premiership.
He told police that a Downing Street official looking into the MP found “there may be five victims of X who have been subject to a range of offences including multiple rapes”.
Berry added: “We are aware that this matter has been ongoing for over two years… This is not something we are prepared to see continue and collectively we have therefore raised the issue with both you and the Speaker’s Office in the House of Commons seeking an immediate investigation.”
The Mail on Sunday reports the payment to one of the alleged victims was for treatment in a private hospital.
The paper also reported that neither he nor Morton were satisfied with the “scant information provided to us by those who were already aware of the extant allegations”.
He added: “Additionally, neither were we satisfied that enough effort had been made to ascertain the nature of the allegations against X nor were we sure that victims had been properly advised about relevant procedures to bring a complaint.”
Berry and Morton are said to have tasked a Downing Street official and a senior MP to investigate the allegations and produce a report.
READ MORE: Crispin Blunt's statement in full as MP is arrested on suspicion of rape
Their report found there were two separate complaints against the same MP, with one woman alleging she had been “date-raped” at Conservative Party conference, and that when he had been notified about the complaint he had went on a “spree” of attempting to discredit the woman.
Another related to a woman who had said she was “frightened” to report the alleged attack to police out of fear her alleged attacker may try to ruin her reputation.
The second woman was reportedly paid for treatment in a private hospital and the party is also said to have installed a Ring doorbell at her home.
It is also claimed that “on several occasions” the woman reported the MP had “had called on her and raped her again” and that “huge amounts of bruising” had been noticed on her.
The report warned there was a possibility that the party could find itself criminally liable for its handling of the situation, stating: “It is my view that if this did end up in court, not only would [one of the alleged victims] be poorly served and have a poor success rate but the party would be severely at risk of prosecution because of the peacemeal [sic] approach we have applied in this case and no doubt others.”
And concerns were raised about the risk of the matter becoming public, with the report’s authors warning: “We as a party are still at risk of this being exposed to the press. If that does happen soon, then we will have to deal with whatever the outcome is of such action.”
The Conservative Party declined to comment.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel