SYDNEY: A prominent Australian lawmaker on Wednesday alleged that she had been “harassed” and “sexually assaulted” by a fellow senator, who denied the allegations in a tense parliamentary exchange.

Speaking in the Senate, independent Lidia Thorpe objected to a conservative senator addressing lawmakers about a rape allegation made against a former parliamentary staffer.

Rising to her feet to interject, Thorpe told the chamber: “I’m feeling really uncomfortable when a perpetrator is speaking,” leaving fellow lawmakers aghast.

Asked to retract the statement — which was protected from Australia’s severe defamation laws by parliamentary privilege — Thorpe refused.

“I can’t, because this person harassed me, sexually assaulted me,” she said. “To have him talking about this today is an absolute disgrace.” The senator accused, David Van, appeared shaken as he was invited to continue his remarks.

“I utterly reject that statement, that disgusting statement, outright. It is just a lie and I reject it,” he said. “It’s just not true.” Since 2021, Australian politics has been roiled by high-profile allegations of assault and harassment inside parliament.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2023