A third woman has come forward alleging she was sexually assaulted by the same former Liberal staffer accused of raping Brittany Higgins.
The allegations were reported in The Australian newspaper this morning and date back to the 2016 election campaign. The woman, who worked as Coalition volunteer, alleges she was sexually assaulted by a then government staffer.
The woman made the claims anonymously but has reportedly provided the newspaper with a statutory declaration.
The continuing allegations have rocked the Liberal Party and reignited debate about the workplace culture in Canberra.
READ MORE: Morrison denies knowing about alleged rape two years ago
Speaking in response to the latest allegation, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said it was very unfair to suggest this was just a Coalition problem.
"You would have to be kidding yourself if you thought this was just something that happened in the parliament. This sadly, sadly happens all around workplaces," he said.
The latest news comes after a second woman spoke to The Australian last week, also alleging she had been sexually assaulted by the same man.
Ms Higgins told her story to news.com.au and Channel 10's The Project last week, alleging she had been raped by a fellow staffer in the office of then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019.
The male staffer was fired over a security breach after he entered Parliament House with Ms Higgins on the night of the alleged assault.
Ms Higgins said was made to feel like her job would be in jeopardy if she followed through with an official complaint to police. However, she said last week she would be making an official complaint.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised over the way Ms Higgins' complaint was handled.
Mr Morrison has ordered four reviews aimed at coming up with ways to better support political staff when they make allegations of sexual assault.
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