Serious allegations of sexual assault in the workplace have pushed a former Saskatchewan NDP staff member into the spotlight.
A long-time volunteer with the party is accusing another long-time individual involved with the Saskatchewan NDP of sexual assault. In an online rant, the alleged victim accuses the NDP of turning a blind eye.
Last month, CTV News shared the story of a woman who said she was the victim of a sexual assault. She said she was dissatisfied with her treatment by police investigators. Now, she’s brought her story to the public eye once again. On Wednesday, she published an online article with details about the alleged assault and her alleged attacker.
In the article, she admits that she worked with her alleged attacker for the NDP during the last provincial election campaign. They worked together again on the Saskatoon Fairview byelection campaign last summer.
The woman says the man sent her inappropriate sexual messages the whole time, culminating in an alleged assault this past August. She claims people inside the NDP knew, or suspected, the harassment was taking place.
“The party, and so many people in positions of power within it, knew what kind of person (he) was,” she wrote in the post. “They just didn’t care. It became clear that speaking up about what he had done would look worse for me than for him. I’d be the girl who couldn’t keep a secret when the party needed it.”
On Thursday, interim NDP leader Nicole Sarauer spoke to reporters about the post. She says the accusations are now the focus of two independent investigations inside the NDP. While she has no control over the investigation, she left no doubt about what would happen if she was in charge of the investigation.
“We believe survivors. I believe survivors,” she said. “I do not have the authority to kick somebody out of the party. The anti-harassment authority does have that authority.”
The committee is looking into the matter internally, but there are no details on what that investigation might include.
At this point, nothing has been proven in court and no charges have been laid. Police say they are still investigating.
Based on a report by CTV Regina's Dale Hunter
