Trevor Mallard apologizes for accusing parliamentary staff member of rape

The Speaker of Parliament, Trevor Mallard, apologized to the parliamentary worker he accused of rape last year.

Mallard says he accepts that his understanding at the time of the definition of rape was incorrect and that the man’s alleged conduct did not amount to rape.

He says it was wrong to suggest otherwise.

In an RNZ interview in May last year, where he spoke about Francis’s report on bullying, Mallard said: “We are talking about a serious sexual assault, well, to me, that’s rape … that’s the impression. I have from the report, yes. “

But a statement by Mallard, released this afternoon, said some of his comments gave the “impression that the allegations made against that individual in the context of the Francis Review amounted to rape.”

“Trevor Mallard agrees that his understanding of the definition of rape at the time was incorrect and that the alleged conduct did not amount to rape (as that term is defined in the Crimes Act of 1961) and that it was incorrect of him to suggest otherwise. , “the statement read.

“Trevor Mallard apologizes for the anguish and humiliation his statements caused the individual and his family.”

It is understood that Mallard was advised to apologize.

His comments at the time caused great anguish in Parliament.

How the saga unfolded

In June of last year, Mallard said he believed a rapist was working on the parliamentary compound a day after Debbie Francis’s review of the parliamentary workplace was published.

The report found systemic problems of bullying and harassment, too often tolerated and normalized misconduct, and a perception of low responsibility. Mallard himself commissioned the report after a string of misbehavior.

Mallard had said that he believed a man was responsible for three serious sexual assaults mentioned in the review and that he believed the man still worked in Parliament.

His comments, described as shocking by some parliamentary workers, triggered a series of turbulent events that led to a complaint of historic aggression and the withdrawal of a member of the parliamentary staff.

Mallard later said a security threat had been removed from the facility.

The employee later lashed out at Mallard, saying he felt intimidated outside of the workplace and was the victim of Mallard’s “slanderous” comments.

After Mallard made the remarks, the man, who had been removed from Parliament, told Newstalk ZB that he felt intimidated into leaving the building.

He said at the time that he wanted an apology for what he described as the “slanderous” comments from the Speaker.