WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT Labour’s Josh Newbury courageously told a debate on International Men’s Day he had woken up with another man after blacking out while drunk in a bid to end stigma for victims of sexual assault
MP Josh Newbury tells of his experience of sexual assault
A Midland MP has said he was raped after a night out nearly a decade ago, as he called for an end to the stigma around being a victim of sexual assault.
Labour’s Josh Newbury told a debate on International Men’s Day that he had been on a night out in an unfamiliar city, but woke up in his hotel room with another man after blacking out while drunk.
The MP for Cannock Chase said he had not reported the attack to police, and had felt guilty afterwards. He wanted to stop the silence and “shame” around those who have been assaulted.
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Speaking in the Commons, Mr Newbury said: “Around 10 years ago, I went on a night out in an unfamiliar city with a group of friends.
“I was very conscious not to overdo it, because if I got separated from the group I wanted to be able to find my way back to the hotel.
“I remember going to a few bars, having a good time, but then it’s a complete blank. Which is something that I’ve never experienced before or since.
“The next morning, I woke up with the worst headache I’ve ever had.
“The man I was sharing a hotel room with commented that he had a great night, but that I’d overdone it a bit and needed to be looked after.
“That didn’t seem to tally with me being determined to pace myself, but I thought maybe I’d drunk too much and I just wanted to get home and sleep it off.
“What followed in the days after was constant text messages from this man, initially just asking if I was OK, but then repeatedly asking what I remembered and commenting that I was a ‘great shag’.
“Now that made me freeze, because I had no recollection of getting back to the hotel, let alone anything else, and he’d repeatedly told me how out of it I’d been, so how could I have ever consented?”
Mr Newbury said: “It took me a few weeks to piece together my memories, the blanks, the text messages, this man’s insistent tone.
“Obviously, I cut myself off from contact but it took me a long time to admit, even to myself, that I was a victim of rape.
“I never felt able to report this and face the likely conclusion that months on from that night, there wasn’t the tangible evidence to ever bring a charge, and I will probably always carry a bit of guilt around that.
“I found myself processing all of this with thoughts like, ‘I count myself lucky that I was unconscious when it happened’.
“But I want to say clearly today, that no victim should ever feel that they have to put themselves in a hierarchy or feel any shame.
“It is the people who do this to another person who should feel shame, and I hope that we can foster an atmosphere where men have the courage to speak out about this, and seek justice, even if it is a hard road.”
Fellow Labour MPs Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) and Jim Dickson (Dartford) could be seen offering him support afterwards.
Speaking later in the debate, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, shadow minister for women Mims Davies and Labour MP Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) paid tribute to him, among others.
Mr Streeting said: “I can honestly say, having been in this house for 10 years, it is a rare moment to hear such a courageous speech as the one that we heard opening this debate.
“We can be truly proud of the Member for Cannock Chase (Mr Newbury). I hope his constituents know the diligent way in which he fights for his constituents every single day here.
“He is a conviction politician, he is prepared to speak truth to power and use his influence to get things done for his community, and just through his words, he will have such an impact on so many people who he will never meet, but will nonetheless draw strength from his courage.”
