SYDNEY: In a shocking confession made by a woman in Australia, the lady alleged that she was raped by a man in the office of Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019.
According to reports, the woman was raped by someone who also worked for Prime Minister Scott Morrison's ruling Liberal party.
Further, the victim spoke with the police in early April 2019 but decided against making a formal complaint amid concerns about her career prospects. Meanwhile, Police in the capital confirmed they had spoken to a complainant in April 2019, but she chose not to make a formal complaint.
Notably, reacting to this, Scott Morrison apologised to the woman and promised a thorough investigation into the government's workplace culture.
"That should not have happened, and I do apologise," Morrison told reporters in Canberra. "I want to make sure any young woman working in this place is as safe as possible."
Morrison said he has appointed Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet official Stephanie Foster to review the process in dealing with workplace complaints, while a backbench lawmaker will investigate workplace culture.
The allegation has intensified pressure on Morrison after a series of allegations of improper behaviour towards woman within the Liberal party.
In 2019, female backbench lawmakers said they felt bullied to support a move to oust then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, while a former female Liberal staff member last year made an official complaint of improper behaviour by then immigration minister Alan Tudge.
According to the victim, she was offered her a lift home by the man at the end of the night, but instead, he took her to Parliament House.
The victim was drunk and fell asleep in the minister's office, before waking to find the man sexually assaulting her.
"I woke up mid-rape essentially," she told Network Ten. "I started crying... I told him to stop."
She said the man left immediately afterwards.