Former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker has accused Senator David Van of inappropriately touching her at a social event at parliament house in 2020.
Stoker alleged that Van squeezed her bottom at the social event, behaviour she said was “unprofessional and uninvited”.
Stoker’s statement on Thursday came after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made the decision to remove Van from the Liberal Party room.
Stoker’s claims come in addition to the allegations made this week by independent senator Lidia Thorpe, who used parliamentary privilege on Wednesday to accuse Van of “harassment” and “sexual assault”. Van vehemently denied the allegations and rejects any wrongdoing.
Speaking to ABC radio on Friday morning, Senator Thorpe said it had been a horrible 48 hours.
“It wasn’t until a white woman stood up and said ‘yeah, this happened to me too’ that the media took notice. That is a great example of the media landscape in this country and that is systemic racism,” Senator Thorpe said.
“I was questioned. I was absolutely demonised that day, by everybody. And you wonder why women don’t speak out. You wonder why we are silenced. It’s because of that kind of behaviour.”
Source: Van dumped from Liberal Party room as Amanda Stoker alleges he inappropriately touched her
What an insufferable hypocrite Van is…