A second woman has come forward to say she was raped while working at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), as reported by Sky news. The woman allegedly contacted The Guardian after it broke the first-ever historical claim that a woman CBI employee was assaulted at a party in London in 2019.
The second woman claimed there was photographic evidence of her engaging in sexual activities with two male coworkers while she was unconscious after a night out while employed at a CBI office abroad.
She had no memory of giving her consent, as reported by the Guardian.
It is also noted that another female employee had reported in 2018 that a male coworker had stalked her, and that despite the company’s lobbying group upholding the charge of harassment, the man’s services had been retained.
At least 12 women have made allegations of misconduct against top members of Britain’s largest employers’ organisation, and the controversy has caused several of the members to reevaluate their roles within the body.
According to the CBI, new information about an allegedly “serious” offence was given to the police on Thursday (April 20).
In the wake of the controversy, the police investigation, and a review ordered by the organisation, director general Tony Danker was fired and three other employees were suspended.
The CBI had previously rendered it evident that Danker was not the target of the most serious accusations, such as rape, that had been made to date.
In an interview earlier this week, he criticised the organisation’s handling of the situation, saying he had been made the “fall guy” for the company’s prior failures.
CBI’s culture at fault?
The second woman to come forward with a rape claim told the Guardian that while she did not hold the CBI accountable for allegedly being raped, the body’s culture was to blame.
“I was really young and people took advantage of me after a night of drinking,” she told the Guardian.
“I blame the CBI for an atmosphere that was allowed to feed into people’s sense of confidence. That they could act in this way and afterwards feel no worries, no fears of consequences. That they could feel somehow proud, in an office,” she added.
“That there wasn’t a person for me to speak to in HR who I knew of and could trust. I want to say to other women or men at the CBI that they do great work. I hope they understand why I wanted to speak about it; what happened to me,” she continued.
ALSO WATCH | Prince William helps out at Indian restaurant in Birmingham, takes booking
The Guardian claimed that in order to help protect the woman’s identity, it had not disclosed the alleged attack’s location or date.
Following the conclusion of the first part of the review, which was overseen by a law firm, the CBI is expected to provide an update on the changes that it aims to adopt at the organisation next week.
