Yahoo News Conservative MP charged with sexually assaulting two women
Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke has been charged with three counts of sexual assault against two women.
He is alleged to have attacked the first woman in 2007 and the second woman twice in 2016 while he was an MP.
Mr Elphicke, 48, will appear in court to answer the charges on 6 September.
It emerged he was being investigated in November 2017 when he had the Conservative Party whip removed over ‘serious allegations’ against him were referred to police.
Number 10 confirmed today he has had the whip removed again.
He was reinstated in December 2018 ahead of a no-confidence vote in Theresa May.
At the time, Labour MP Jess Phillips accused the Prime Minister of putting ‘political power’ ahead of protecting alleged victims.
Mr Elphicke, who is believed to have voted against Mrs May in the no confidence vote, tweeted in December: “Important for my constituents to know that, 13 months after having it withdrawn, I have been given back the Conservative Whip.
“I remain as confident as I always have been of clearing my name and will continue to work as hard for Dover & Deal as I always have done.”
Charles Elphicke, MP for Dover, charged with three counts of sexual assault
More: https://t.co/T5sKR00rti— CPS (@cpsuk) July 22, 2019
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said the CPS made the decision to charge the MP for Dover after reviewing a file of evidence from the Met Police.
In a statement Mr Elphicke’s solicitor Ellen Peart, of law firm BCL, said: “Charlie Elphicke has said from the outset that he denies any wrongdoing. He will defend himself vigorously and is confident that he will clear his name.
“Meanwhile Charlie would like to thank everyone for their continued support of him and his family.
“There will be no further comment at this stage.”
The MP’s constituency association chairman, Keith Single, said: “Throughout the last 20 months since these allegations were first made, Charlie has had our full support. That support will continue. Basic British values require that everyone remains innocent until proven otherwise.
“Unfortunately, as everyone knows, there have been many recent occasions when, in dealing with matters of this type, the Metropolitan Police and the CPS have pursued allegations which have been proven in court to be entirely untrue.
“We have no doubt that this will be another one of them and Charlie will be fully exonerated.”
