The British Parliament in London.
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Dinendra Haria / SOPA Ima / SIPA
A British Conservative MP arrested in early August on rape charges has agreed not to sit in Parliament while the investigation is taking place, the Speaker of the House of Commons said on Tuesday.
This deputy and former member of the government, whose name has not been made public, was arrested on August 1 on suspicion of sexual assault and rape, which took place four times.
He was released on bail and Boris Johnson's Conservative Party then decided not to exclude or suspend him as it stood, drawing strong criticism from the Prime Minister.
On the occasion of the parliamentary reopening, the "speaker" of the lower house of Parliament Lindsay Hoyle indicated that he "received assurances (...) that this deputy voluntarily agreed not to sit in the House of Commons for the time being. of his release on bail ”.
A member of the Conservative Party
He asked the elected officials to respect the anonymity of their implicated colleague and assured "take the safety of staff and the parliamentary community very seriously".
According to the Sunday Times newspaper, the charges were brought by a former parliamentary assistant and target a Conservative party official.
Two days before the arrest of this elected, another Conservative MP, Charlie Elphicke, had been convicted of sexual assault on two women.
His wife, who had succeeded him in her constituency of Dover, immediately announced that their marriage was to end.
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