EXCLUSIVE:
Woman 'abused after being spiked' says James Cleverly should be sacked
Gina Miller, who heads the True and Fair Party, described Rohypnol spiking as "one of the worst crimes you can possibly imagine". She said it was "beyond appalling" that the Home Secretary had been heard making light of it
Political activist Gina Miller says it is 'beyond appalling' that the Home Secretary would make light of spiking
Political activist Gina Miller says it is 'beyond appalling' that the Home Secretary would make light of spiking
(Image: PA)
By Dave Burke
By Dave Burke
Political Correspondent
26 Dec 2023
A political campaigner who says she was "often drugged" and abused in the past has demanded Rishi Sunak sacks James Cleverly over his vile date-rape drug joke.
Gina Miller, who heads the True and Fair Party, described Rohypnol spiking as "one of the worst crimes you can possibly imagine". She said it was "beyond appalling" that the Home Secretary had been heard making light of it.
The Mirror revealed that Mr Cleverly told female guests at a Downing Street event that "a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night" was "not really illegal if it's only a little bit". He also laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there.” His comments came hours after his own department announced plans to crack down on spiking.
A political campaigner who says she was "often drugged" and abused in the past has demanded Rishi Sunak sacks James Cleverly over his vile date-rape drug joke.
Gina Miller, who heads the True and Fair Party, described Rohypnol spiking as "one of the worst crimes you can possibly imagine". She said it was "beyond appalling" that the Home Secretary had been heard making light of it.
The Mirror revealed that Mr Cleverly told female guests at a Downing Street event that "a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night" was "not really illegal if it's only a little bit". He also laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there.” His comments came hours after his own department announced plans to crack down on spiking.
James Cleverly made the remarks at a Downing Street bash before Christmas
(Image: Getty Images)
Ms Miller, who said she had been a victim of the drug during an abusive relationship more than a decade ago, said: "This ruins a woman's life, or a young girl's life, when this happens to you. It's not something you wake up and you get over. It literally ruins your life.
"You can't escape it. It is like this ghost on your shoulder that lives with you forever... and then you see somebody in a position of power, not just a teacher or headmaster, this was a Home Secretary here we're talking about, somebody in a position of power, playing it down as a joke."
Following the remarks Mr Cleverly's spokesman said he apologised for "what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke". But Ms Miller said such topics should be off limits, stating: "When you're in that sort of position of responsibility and power everything you say and do matters, because you're leading by example. And that's the thing that's so offensive about it is that we've already got a trend, we've got an epidemic, the data shows that we have an increasing rise of violence against women and girls."
Describing the impact of drugging, Ms Miller, 58, said: "You have no memory, you have memory loss. You have the pain and you know something happened, but you are in no way in control of telling anybody because you can't remember.
"So it absolutely robs you of everything - your memory, your ability to speak out, your ability to complain, your inability to go to the police. You're robbed of everything. You feel as though you're drowning because you instinctively know something that happened, that you have absolutely no recollection of it."
Anti-Brexit campaigner Ms Miller added: "As a survivor, and as a woman, I have no confidence. I don't see how any woman in the UK can have confidence in him as a Home Secretary representing them and looking after their safety."
She earlier posted on Twitter: "Some topics are off limits when it comes to jokes. Rape, domestic abuse, coercive control, use of Rohypnol/roofies is alarmingly on the rise. Women need men as allies to help end this evil- not joke about it.
"Especially not a Home Secretary, at work, home, private or public event." Her post continued: "As a domestic violence survivor who was often drugged so had no idea what was really going on or could not remember huge chunks of my life, you feel as though you are drowning - silent screaming but no one hears you..."
No10 has said the PM has "full confidence" in the Home Secretary despite calls for him to resign. A Downing Street source said the Prime Minister still had confidence in Mr Cleverly despite calls for the top Tory to resign.138437485146
The Home Secretary’s spokesman said: “In what was always understood as a private conversation, the Home Secretary made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke – for which he apologises.” But the comments triggered a ferocious backlash, with Labour's Yvette Cooper saying it was "truly unbelievable" that the Home Secretary could joke about such a "serious and devastating crime".
Fawcett Society chief executive Jemima Olchawski said: "It's sickening that the senior minister in charge of keeping women safe thinks that something as terrifying as drugging women is a laughing matter. No wonder women don't feel safe. We know that 'banter' is the excuse under which misogyny is allowed to thrive.
"How can we trust him to seriously address violence against women and girls? We deserve better than this from our lawmakers and Cleverly should resign."
Ms Miller, who said she had been a victim of the drug during an abusive relationship more than a decade ago, said: "This ruins a woman's life, or a young girl's life, when this happens to you. It's not something you wake up and you get over. It literally ruins your life.
"You can't escape it. It is like this ghost on your shoulder that lives with you forever... and then you see somebody in a position of power, not just a teacher or headmaster, this was a Home Secretary here we're talking about, somebody in a position of power, playing it down as a joke."
Following the remarks Mr Cleverly's spokesman said he apologised for "what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke". But Ms Miller said such topics should be off limits, stating: "When you're in that sort of position of responsibility and power everything you say and do matters, because you're leading by example. And that's the thing that's so offensive about it is that we've already got a trend, we've got an epidemic, the data shows that we have an increasing rise of violence against women and girls."
Describing the impact of drugging, Ms Miller, 58, said: "You have no memory, you have memory loss. You have the pain and you know something happened, but you are in no way in control of telling anybody because you can't remember.
"So it absolutely robs you of everything - your memory, your ability to speak out, your ability to complain, your inability to go to the police. You're robbed of everything. You feel as though you're drowning because you instinctively know something that happened, that you have absolutely no recollection of it."
Anti-Brexit campaigner Ms Miller added: "As a survivor, and as a woman, I have no confidence. I don't see how any woman in the UK can have confidence in him as a Home Secretary representing them and looking after their safety."
She earlier posted on Twitter: "Some topics are off limits when it comes to jokes. Rape, domestic abuse, coercive control, use of Rohypnol/roofies is alarmingly on the rise. Women need men as allies to help end this evil- not joke about it.
"Especially not a Home Secretary, at work, home, private or public event." Her post continued: "As a domestic violence survivor who was often drugged so had no idea what was really going on or could not remember huge chunks of my life, you feel as though you are drowning - silent screaming but no one hears you..."
No10 has said the PM has "full confidence" in the Home Secretary despite calls for him to resign. A Downing Street source said the Prime Minister still had confidence in Mr Cleverly despite calls for the top Tory to resign.138437485146
The Home Secretary’s spokesman said: “In what was always understood as a private conversation, the Home Secretary made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke – for which he apologises.” But the comments triggered a ferocious backlash, with Labour's Yvette Cooper saying it was "truly unbelievable" that the Home Secretary could joke about such a "serious and devastating crime".
Fawcett Society chief executive Jemima Olchawski said: "It's sickening that the senior minister in charge of keeping women safe thinks that something as terrifying as drugging women is a laughing matter. No wonder women don't feel safe. We know that 'banter' is the excuse under which misogyny is allowed to thrive.
"How can we trust him to seriously address violence against women and girls? We deserve better than this from our lawmakers and Cleverly should resign."
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