M A I N   N E W S

Special to the tribune
UK Deputy Speaker arrested on rape charges, released
Shyam Bhatia in London

The UK has been rocked by another sex scandal following the arrest and subsequent release of Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans. Unlike recent rapes in Delhi and other parts of North India, the latest allegations of sex crimes in the UK are all connected to high-profile members of the social and political establishments.

Evans, who earns the equivalent of Rs 6.5 lakh per month in his role as Deputy Speaker, has denied allegations of rape and sexual assault against two men, thought to be in their 20s, who he said he had previously regarded as ‘friends.’

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Evans said: “Yesterday I was interviewed by the police concerning two complaints, one dating back four years, involving two persons who are known to each other and who, until yesterday, I regarded as friends.

The complaints are completely false. I cannot understand why they were made, especially as I continued to socialise with one as recently as last week.

“I appreciate the way the police has handled this in a sensitive manner and I would like to thank my colleagues, friends and members of the public who have continued to express their support and, like me, a sense of incredulity at these events.”

A spokesman for he House of Commons said: “This is a matter for the police and we will not be making any comment.”

Evans has been an MP since 1992 and declared himself ‘gay’ back in 2010 when he said he was “tired of living a lie”, adding that he had been the victim of threats of blackmail from political enemies who threatened to expose him.

Commenting at the time about the creation of a new group to help MPs and parliamentary staff be open about their sexuality, he added, “I am sure there are other gay MPs who would like to be open about their sexuality but are fearful of the consequences. I hope this new group will help them to do so.”

In a newspaper interview he explained: “I realised I was gay when I was about 12 or 13, though at the time I wished I wasn’t. “I thought I might just be going through a phase and that it would fade away. I had a girlfriend.

“I suppressed it. In those days you kept it quiet. It was more or less impossible to enter politics - in either party - as an openly gay person. When Margaret Thatcher was asked about homosexuals in the party she said, “Oh, we don’t talk about those sort of things.”

Evans’ arrest comes after a series of high profile investigations and arrests following allegations of sexual abuse against the late Jimmy Savile, a former British disc jockey and television personality who died in 2011.

When allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced after his death, the UK police started a long-term investigation, labeled Operation Yewtree, that looked into allegations concerning Savile, his friends and a separate category of ‘others’ accused of improper behaviour.

The ‘others’ category so far include Australia-born entertainer Rolf Harris, who was arrested and released last November’, and veteran, 83-year-old former BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall who has admitted 14 counts of offences against young girls over a period of 20 years. Earlier this year, a landlord in Manchester was jailed for four years after it was discovered that he had forced a 15-year-old girl to perform sexual favours to cover her rent.