Sexual assault claims reach US Congress, Senator apologises

WASHINGTON: A Democratic senator accused by a woman of forcibly kissing and groping her 11 years ago during at our of military bases abroad, has a po log is ed for his behaviour.

Al Franken, the senator from Minnesota, is the latest to be hit by an avalanche of allegations of sexual harassment by powerful men.

Franken moved swiftly to issue a statement apologizing to the victim, Leeann Tweeden, a TV broadcaster, and seeking an investigation of his conduct from a time preceding his term in the senate, by the chamber’s ethics committee, joining calls from both parties.

He owned up the accusation by his victim and apologised.

“The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Lee ann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who count son me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women ,” Frank en wrote.

“I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t,” he added .“And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.”

Here is what the victim had to say about it in a piece she wrote: “On the day of the show Frank en and I were alone back stage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, ‘We need to rehearse the kiss.’ I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, ‘Relax Al, this isn’t SNL…we don’t need to rehearse the kiss.’