Former staffer allegedly raped by dumped Labor MP Will Fowles speaks out

The political staffer who claimed she was attacked by Ringwood MP Will Fowles has spoken out, saying the justice system is failing alleged victims.

The former Victorian political staffer who last year claimed she was raped by dumped Labor MP Will Fowles has broken her silence, saying the justice system is failing alleged victims.

The 41-year-old woman – who has asked for her identity to be protected – has also called for a cultural shift inside state parliament and the creation of a radical new mediation scheme for alleged victims and perpetrators.

The alleged victim claims she was attacked in a taxpayer-funded room at the five-star Le Meridien hotel on Bourke St on August 2, 2023.

Mr Fowles has always denied the claims.

The woman, who worked in Mr Fowles’ electorate office for a number of years and viewed him as a “brother”, had caught up with him at a boozy work function in the afternoon at parliament.

The former staffer says the justice system is failing alleged victims.

Several hours later, the woman claims Mr Fowles raped her in his hotel room after she rejected his initial advances.

The staffer says she disclosed the alleged assault to her colleague the following morning, with the complaint leading to the Ringwood MP’s resignation from the Labor Party and prompting the Premier’s private office to refer the matter to Victoria Police.

Mr Fowles was arrested and interviewed, but following an investigation police did not lay any charges and on January 30, announced the case had been closed.

Mr Fowles – who returned to parliament in February – has always denied the allegation and on Thursday reaffirmed that position.

“Victoria Police have concluded their investigation and cleared my name,” he said in a statement.

“I strenuously deny this allegation. It did not happen. There was no assault.”

Now the alleged victim said she feels compelled to tell her story.

“I am ready to talk,” she told the Herald Sun.

“The criminal justice system is failing. Low prosecution rates for reported sexual assaults in Victoria shows that cases are clearly not being adequately addressed.”

The alleged victim – who is no longer an employee of the Victorian government – quit what she described as her dream job working for a minister about six months after the alleged assault.

“I worked for over 20 years in ALP electorate offices, and working for the party, finally progressed to a policy adviser role, which I was only in for two months before the incident occurred. I tried to keep my dream role, but going to Spring St everyday became too triggering – even though there was support from my minister, it became impossible,” she said.

The woman claims Mr Fowles raped her in his hotel room after she rejected his initial advances. Picture: James Ross

She wrote to Premier Jacinta Allan in June requesting a meeting to discuss parliamentary workplace reform as well as ways to improve the process when it comes to handling complaints about the conduct of MPs.

While Ms Allan has agreed to meet, it’s understood that meeting has been delayed.

The former staffer wants the government to provide an alternative pathway – separate to the criminal justice system – to deal with sexual assault complaints.

“I wish that there was another option,” she said.

She proposes a mediation system be set up through the public health system giving alleged victims and perpetrators an opportunity to meet and discuss their case without risk of incarceration.

“Obviously not all sexual assault victims would want to take this pathway, but when victims and perpetrators are known to each other, funnelling victims into the criminal justice system can create greater pain for both parties and less opportunity to heal.”

The government introduced legislation in 2022 to adopt an affirmative consent model – which means a person must say or do something to check they have the other person’s agreement before engaging in a sexual act.

Those laws came into force in July last year, just days before the alleged assault.

Ms Allan on Thursday said it is clear that further work is needed across the justice system to support victim-survivors.

Responding to reports in the Herald Sun which detailed the story of the woman who alleges she was raped by former Labor MP Mr Fowles, Ms Allan said the allegations were “deeply troubling and traumatic”.

Ms Allan said her office is in contact with the alleged victim and will meet with her at an “appropriate time”.

“I will always stand and support victim survivors,” Ms Allan said.

“The allegations that have been reported today go to a clearly awful, traumatic experience for this person who has been in contact with my office.

“This matter contains allegations that are deeply troubling and traumatic.”

Ms Allan conceded that more work is needed to fix the system and ensure that victim survivors are heard.

“It is deeply distressing and deeply concerning to hear the experiences of victim survivors, victims who have gone through a deeply traumatic experience who then speak about how they are potentially retraumatised by the process,” she said.

“It is clear that further work needs to be done across the justice system.”

Premier Jacinta Allan said Mr Fowles is not welcome back into the Labor Party. Picture: David Crosling

Ms Allan said she was proud the parliament this week passed a workplace standards Bill, which she described as the “most significant overhaul of parliamentary workplace standards of any parliament in the country”.

“It provides an independent pathway for people who have allegations of harassment, sexual harassment, bullying (so) that they can be examined independently,” she said.

“It is important that members of parliament not just behave to the highest of standards, but are held to the highest of standards.”

She said Mr Fowles would not be welcome back into the Labor Party.

“I made it absolutely clear earlier this year that there was no place in the parliamentary Labor Party for the member for Ringwood and I remain firmly that that is the right decision to have taken,” she said.

The Herald Sun understands Mr Fowles was due to deliver a members’ statement in parliament on Thursday morning, however he was not seen in the chamber.

The alleged victim also said there needed to be a greater focus – from both the parliament and the Department of Premier and Cabinet – on the power that MPs had over staffers.

The woman had worked for Mr Fowles for some years prior to the alleged incident happening, but was in a different role with the then-Andrews government at the time of the claimed rape.

“It’s impossible to describe the staffer-MP relationship. I thought he was my brother and that as a masculine queer person I would be exempt from his gaze. I feel so betrayed but also horrified and complicit in his success to have the power he was using,” she added.

It is not known whether Mr Fowles co-operated with the police investigation, but he has always strongly denied the allegation.