Deputy Speaker of House of Commons Nigel Evans Re-Arrested

cenydd
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Deputy Speaker of House of Commons Nigel Evans Re-Arrested Sept 10, 2013 9:50:30 GMT

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Post by cenydd on Sept 10, 2013 9:50:30 GMT

The Deputy Commons Speaker has been re-arrested on suspicion of indecently assaulting two further alleged victims.

Nigel Evans, 55, was arrested on Tuesday morning for the third time since May as he answered bail over the earlier allegations.

He is now being held for questioning at Preston police station on suspicion of indecent assault and sexual touching.

Mr Evans was previously arrested by Lancashire Police on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and three indecent assaults.

The Tory MP arrived at the police station in a silver Jaguar driven by his solicitor just before 9am, where he was met by detectives.

He smiled at members of the press gathered outside and said: "Thanks for coming."

A police spokesman said: "A 55-year-old man from Pendleton in Lancashire has today answered his bail following his arrest in May on suspicion of rape and sexual assault and in June on suspicion of three further offences of indecent assault.

"He has subsequently today been arrested on suspicion of indecent assault and sexual touching of two further victims.

"He will be interviewed about these new allegations at a police station in Lancashire during the course of the day.

"These new offences are alleged to have been committed in London between 2002 and 2009."

The initial claims of rape and sexual assault refer to alleged events in Pendleton between July 2009 and March 2013 and the second to alleged events in Blackpool and London from 2003-2011.

All of these allegations involve men in their 20s.

Mr Evans dismissed the original claims against him as "completely false" and said they had been made by two people he had "regarded as friends".

In June, he said: "I continue to refute all allegations."

news.sky.com/story/1139623/deputy-speaker-nigel-evans-re-arrested

More trouble for Nigel Evans. Last time his claim was that former friends had made false allegations against him, but there's not much detail on the new accusations yet. Even if they prove untrue, allegations like this could obviously seriously damage his political career (having already meant that he's not able to carry out his duties as Deputy Speaker.

A liberal’s disagreement with a socialist or social democrat comes down to this: we both seek equality, but the only equality a liberal thinks is worth striving for is an equality of freedom. A liberal’s disagreement with conservatives comes down to this: we both seek freedom, but a liberal believes no one can achieve it alone. There is such a thing as society, and government’s purpose is to shape a society in which individual freedom can flourish. (Michael Ignatieff)

cenydd
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Deputy Speaker of House of Commons Nigel Evans Re-Arrested Sept 10, 2013 21:23:46 GMT

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Post by cenydd on Sept 10, 2013 21:23:46 GMT

He's gone:

The Deputy Commons Speaker Nigel Evans has resigned after being charged with a string of offences including sexual assault and rape.

The 55-year-old Tory MP is accused of two counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual assault and one rape count in relation to seven men.

Evans, who represents the Ribble Valley constituency in Lancashire, will appear before magistrates in Preston on September 18.

The director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said: "Following an investigation by Lancashire police, the Crown Prosecution Service has received a file of evidence in the case of Mr Nigel Evans MP which concerns allegations of a sexual nature.

"After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Mr Evans."

In a statement outside Preston police station Evans said he would "robustly defend my innocence" against the complaints which he described as "incredulous".

news.sky.com/story/1139981/deputy-speaker-resigns-after-sex-charges

I thought he might decide to resign this time.

A liberal’s disagreement with a socialist or social democrat comes down to this: we both seek equality, but the only equality a liberal thinks is worth striving for is an equality of freedom. A liberal’s disagreement with conservatives comes down to this: we both seek freedom, but a liberal believes no one can achieve it alone. There is such a thing as society, and government’s purpose is to shape a society in which individual freedom can flourish. (Michael Ignatieff)

Oddquine
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Deputy Speaker of House of Commons Nigel Evans Re-Arrested Sept 11, 2013 21:23:30 GMT

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Post by Oddquine on Sept 11, 2013 21:23:30 GMT

Don't see he had much option, tbh, not with a second set of accusations. Have to say that I think that any MP(or any "celebrity") is more than foolish to put themselves in the situation of laying themselves open to those kinds of accusations. Being important and untouchable in your own mind doesn't actually make you important and untouchable....and certainly not in London, given the trashing the Met has had with accusations of being picky and choosy about who they prosecute. But MPs and celebrities aren't known for their intelligence.

cenydd
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Deputy Speaker of House of Commons Nigel Evans Re-Arrested Sept 12, 2013 17:45:41 GMT

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Post by cenydd on Sept 12, 2013 17:45:41 GMT

Sept 11, 2013 21:23:30 GMT Oddquine said:

But MPs and celebrities aren't known for their intelligence.

Neither are the police, unfortunately!

We don't really know what 'position' he had put himself in - it's very difficult to avoid a situation where people could make things up about you and to still have some kind of life, but on the other hand they could be telling the truth and he could have been using his position to try to 'prove' himself to be an upstanding citizen. We'll just have to wait and see what comes out.

It does raise the question again, though, as did the recent Le Vell case, about whether alleged 'perpetrators' in such cases should be 'named and shamed' in advance of any trial, and before they are proven to be guilty of having done anything wrong, in view of the stigma that will be attached to their name in the minds of many people whether they are found guilty or not.

A liberal’s disagreement with a socialist or social democrat comes down to this: we both seek equality, but the only equality a liberal thinks is worth striving for is an equality of freedom. A liberal’s disagreement with conservatives comes down to this: we both seek freedom, but a liberal believes no one can achieve it alone. There is such a thing as society, and government’s purpose is to shape a society in which individual freedom can flourish. (Michael Ignatieff)

Oddquine
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Deputy Speaker of House of Commons Nigel Evans Re-Arrested Sept 12, 2013 22:11:23 GMT

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Post by Oddquine on Sept 12, 2013 22:11:23 GMT

Sept 12, 2013 17:45:41 GMT cenydd said:

Sept 11, 2013 21:23:30 GMT Oddquine said:

But MPs and celebrities aren't known for their intelligence.

Neither are the police, unfortunately!

We don't really know what 'position' he had put himself in - it's very difficult to avoid a situation where people could make things up about you and to still have some kind of life, but on the other hand they could be telling the truth and he could have been using his position to try to 'prove' himself to be an upstanding citizen. We'll just have to wait and see what comes out.

It does raise the question again, though, as did the recent Le Vell case, about whether alleged 'perpetrators' in such cases should be 'named and shamed' in advance of any trial, and before they are proven to be guilty of having done anything wrong, in view of the stigma that will be attached to their name in the minds of many people whether they are found guilty or not.

I'm of the opinion that we don't have a right to know what is tantamount to gossip...and until there has been a verdict in a court case, all that the papers print as "news" is unproven gossip. If I see "allegedly", "it is said" , "perhaps", "imply", "maybe" and other words which illustrate that the media is taking a punt at trashing someone because they have to fill up papers to sell them....I don't read the article.

I'm a believer in anonymity for both victims and defendants in cases which tickle the interest of the prurient sections of society and tend to lead to mud sticking even where it has been proven it shouldn't have been thrown in the first place. But that won't sell papers in the, frankly, nasty society we are becoming.