CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS EX-CHILD ABUSE CHARITY LEADER AMID SEXUAL ENCOUNTER ALLEGATION
The article details that Peter Saunders, the former chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), was involved in a scandal concerning his conduct in 2008.According to newspaper allegations, Saunders was accused of having a "drunken sexual encounter" with a woman who was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
The incident allegedly took place in a restaurant where Saunders met with the woman and her female friend to discuss how she could work with the charity.
The newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, reported that Saunders purchased three bottles of wine for the table using the charity’s credit card.
Saunders was later arrested on suspicion of rape; however, he was never charged, as the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence.
Saunders denied the allegations, claiming the encounter was consensual and that it was instigated by the woman.
The charity was already aware of the incident in 2008 and stated it considered the matter to have been resolved at that time.
Following the publication of the article on August 25, 2019, the charity suspended Saunders with immediate effect while it investigates the claims.
Saunders resigned from his role on the victims and survivors panel of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
The IICSA spokesperson indicated that Saunders failed to disclose this incident when he joined the inquiry in 2015, and his resignation was accepted immediately.
The article notes that Saunders is not available for comment.
