Lidia Thorpe clears up sexual assault claims she made in Senate against David Van

Lidia Thorpe has doubled down on her allegations that she was sexually assaulted, claiming she was ‘aggressively followed, presented and touched inappropriately’ – but insisted she would not file a complaint with the police.

The independent senator tearfully said she never spoke publicly about her alleged experience because it was around the same time that Brittany Higgins had come forward.

She told the Senate under parliamentary privilege that she did not want to take away Ms. Higgins’ experience, and placed her trust in the Liberal Party that her complaint was being taken seriously.

It comes after she first filed the extraordinary claims against Senator David Van in the Senate Wednesday afternoon, only to formally withdraw four hours later to comply with standing orders.

On Thursday, she said, “When I started, I was a new senator. As all women who have walked the corridors of this building know, it was not a safe place.

‘You are often alone in long corridors, without windows, in hidden stairwells where there are no cameras.’

Ms Thorpe went on to say she was introduced ‘by powerful men and approached in the stairwell, where there are no cameras’.

She said there are “different views on what constitutes assault” and that when she made her complaint to the then government – the Coalition – “it was recognized as such”.

“I was afraid to walk out the office door. I’d open it up a bit and make sure the coast was clear before stepping out,” she said. “I had to be accompanied by someone – that’s how the Greens supported me and I’m grateful for that.”

Ms Thorpe told the Senate she was confident the Prime Minister, then Scott Morrison, had been notified. He said in a statement Wednesday that he has no recollection.

‘I was convinced that the government believed me… My confidence in the Liberal Party was not the right decision.

“Until yesterday I thought they were taking the matter seriously.”

Ms Thorpe said ‘silence is violence’ and noted she had to speak out on Wednesday when she realized Mr Van ‘had the courage to stand up in parliament’ to address Brittany Higgins’ complaint.

As Ms. Thorpe finished her speech and thanked the Senate, Senator Pauline Hanson – sitting next to Ms. Thorpe – made a quiet remark, to which Ms. Thorpe replied, “f**k off Pauline.”

Just hours earlier, Senator Van had vehemently denied her accusations for a third time, but admitted that he had moved offices after she filed complaints.

Mr Van said Ms Thorpe then made allegations ‘through her guidance to our guidance’ that he closely followed her ‘to the room’ in 2021, and that made her feel ‘uncomfortable’.

Mr Van said it was inevitable to bump into her in the corridors of parliament as they entered the Senate, given the proximity of their offices.

“Sometimes I’ve been in front of her, sometimes I’ve been behind her, but I’ve never bothered her… I’ve barely said goodbye.”

In response to Ms Thorpe’s complaint, Mr Van said he had been ‘offered another office’ further away from hers and accepted.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement that he had no recollection of the incident.

Ms Thorpe spoke about the two-year-old encounter after Mr Van made a statement about the handling of Brittany Higgins’ sexual assault complaint.

She told the Senate under parliamentary privilege, “I just want to pass on that I feel really uncomfortable when a perpetrator talks about violence…”

“This person harassed me, sexually assaulted me and the Prime Minister should remove him from office.

And for him to talk about it today is an absolute disgrace! To the whole party.’

Mr Van categorically denied the allegations – immediately afterwards in the Senate, several hours later in a media statement and again this morning on 2GB.

“I can say with some certainty that the only time I ever touched her would have been to shake her hand after her maiden speech.

“I haven’t harassed her in any way.”