Liberal exec ‘won’t ignore’ claims of sexual assault

The Liberal Party’s federal vice-president says she will not let claims of sexual assault within her party “fall by the wayside”.

Federal Liberal party Vice President Karina Okotel. Picture: AAP

The Liberal Party’s federal vice-president, Karina Okotel, says her party needs to consider bringing in a fresh code of conduct after former staffers alleged that senior figures failed to act on their sexual assault claims.

Former Liberal staffers Chelsey Potter and Dhanya Mani — who worked for the federal and NSW Liberal Party respectively — have said they were discouraged from reporting alleged sexual assaults committed against them by fellow staff members.

Ms Okotel said the allegations needed to be taken seriously and raised with the police before they were dealt with by the party.

“If they are guilty of gross misconduct where it should be a jail­able offence, they do need to be taken out of their community and put into jail,” she told Sky News.

Ms Okotel described the allegations against two Liberal ministers as horrific.

“Like a dog with a bone, I won’t be letting this issue fall by the wayside at all. Anyone in the Liberal Party can count on that,” she said.

“It is really important the Liberal Party has codes of conduct. Every political party needs to have them in place.”

Ms Okotel said a review into the allegations was under way and almost at completion stage. She expects the date of the findings’ release to be finalised tomorrow.

“I’m really proud that our party has taken a step to take on board any allegations that might come forward as serious,” she said.

Cabinet minister Michaelia Cash — a former minister for women — yesterday denied her party had a problem with women.

Liberal Party veteran Kathryn Greiner, who has been with the party 50 years, told the ABC that telling women to go to the police was “simply another way of shutting people up”.

“If we want to bring transformative and conclusive change into the Liberal Party, which we clearly need to do, then it starts with the Prime Minister,” Ms Greiner said.