Australian police have launched an investigation after Queensland MP Brittany Lauga mentioned she was drugged and sexually assaulted.
Ms Lauga, the assistant minister for well being, mentioned she was attacked on a night out in her constituency Yeppoon.
She mentioned: “This might have occurred to anybody and tragically, it does occur to many people.”
The 37-year-old went to the police after which to hospital on April 28.
“Exams on the hospital confirmed the presence of medication in my physique which I didn’t take,” she mentioned in a press release posted on social media.
She additionally mentioned that the substance had impacted her “considerably” and that different girls had contacted her who additionally “might have been drugged”.
Ms Lauga mentioned: “It’s not OK. We must always be capable to take pleasure in socialising in our city with out the chance of being drugged or assaulted.”
The Queensland Police Service confirmed it’s investigating a sexual assault grievance referring to an incident in Yeppoon. It mentioned no different studies in the identical space have been made, however is asking anybody with data to contact them.
Crackdown pledge
Australia has skilled a spate of gender-based violence just lately. A girl has been killed on common each 4 days within the nation to date this yr.
In April, Joel Cuachi stabbed six individuals to loss of life in a Sydney buying centre, 5 of whom had been girls. The New South Wales police commissioner mentioned that it was “apparent” he centered on attacking girls.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has branded home violence a “nationwide disaster” and pledged to crackdown on misogynistic on-line content material.
“We have to change the tradition. We have to change attitudes. We have to change the authorized system,” Mr Albanese advised crowds at a rally towards gender violence final week.
Ms Lauga has been in parliament for almost a decade and was first elected to the seat of Keppel in 2015.
Queensland’s premier, Steven Miles, mentioned the federal government was supporting Ms Lauga. “Nobody ought to should undergo what Brittany goes via,” he mentioned.
Ms Lauga has mentioned she would take “time to bodily and emotionally heal” and requested for privateness.
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