Crispin Blunt, an MP for the British Conservative Party, was arrested on Wednesday for rape and drug possession. The incident occurred on the same day as the suspension of another Tory MP, Peter Bone, for harassment and sexual misconduct against a male worker on his staff.
Scotland Yard, for its part, confirmed early Thursday afternoon the arrest of a man, on suspicion of rape and possession of “substances”, without directly mentioning his status as a deputy. The detainee was released on bail and hours later his identity was confirmed on social networks.
Crispin Blunt, 63, former Secretary of State for Prisons, confirmed that he had been questioned on two occasions and assured that he has decided to collaborate with the ongoing investigation, although he avoided making any comment on his guilt or innocence. The deputy is the uncle of the renowned British-American actress Emily Blunt, winner of a Golden Globe.
Another conservative parliamentarian was also arrested in May 2022 for sexual assault and rape, although he has not yet been indicted and his case is under investigation. His name was not made public after a year and a half.
This week’s arrest is in any case the latest in a successive chain of sexual scandals involving conservative MPs, such as Chris Pincher, suspended for touching two men when he was drunk in a club. His case contributed to the fall as Prime Minister of Boris Johnson, who promoted him in the parliamentary group despite his record of inappropriate behavior, in the final stretch of Partygate.
Two other Tory MPs have been held accountable before the courts and ended up behind bars in the last term in as many sexual scandals. Charlie Elphicke was sentenced in 2020 to two years in prison for three counts of sexual assault of two women. The most notorious case, however, was that of Imran Ahmad Khan, sentenced to 18 months for sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy.
