The Daily Telegraph

Green faces three new US harassment claims

- By Hayley Dixon

Three more women in America have come forward to make claims of sexual harassment against Sir Philip Green despite a “gag” on alleged British victims. One former Topshop worker claimed the tycoon once put his hand under her dress while posing for a photo at a promotiona­l event. Yesterday MPS and legal experts said the silencing of Sir Philip’s alleged British victims while his former employees in America speak out is “making a mockery” of this country’s legal system.

SILENCING Sir Philip Green’s alleged British victims while his former employees in America speak out is “making a mockery” of the UK’S legal system, experts and MPS have said.

The Topshop billionair­e was yesterday accused of waging an almost yearlong campaign of sexual harassment and bullying against a manager in his Las Vegas store

But while Auna Irvine, 33, was able to detail how he would regularly smack her bottom, grab her by the waist, make comments about her weight and breasts and tell her she was “naughty”, gagging orders remain in place to prevent UK members of staff speaking out.

Sir Philip also has an injunction against The Daily Telegraph preventing this newspaper printing allegation­s of sexual harassment and racial discrimina­tion that happened in the UK. He has spoken publicly about the claims, dismissing them as “banter”.

Jess Phillips, who sits on the women and equalities committee, said: “It makes a massive mockery of our legal system that women in the UK are being silenced with collusion from the British legal system, because in this instance it appears as collusion and it appears as if our laws are for one group of people and not the other.”

As three other American employees came forward to make allegation­s of sexual harassment against Sir Philip, experts said that the injunction would never have been granted in the US, where greater importance is placed on freedom of speech.

Geoffrey Robertson QC, a leading human rights lawyer, said: “This shows how American law places a much higher value on freedom of speech

‘The injunction staying in place is ridiculous and it is more of a power play so he can still hold all the cards’

than British law as declared by the Court of Appeal in The Telegraph case, which upheld the gag on employees speaking out about alleged misconduct.

“Freedom of speech in England can be very expensive and it can be overridden by contracts that are not in the public interest because they prevent the exposure of wrongdoing. The protection for employers who are wrongly accused is defamation, which gives them the right to sue their accuser who then has to prove the truth of the accusation­s.”

Concerns were also raised that Britain is lagging behind the US in cracking down on the abuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAS).

Miss Irvine did not sign an NDA and experts say that lawyers in the US are much more hesitant in using them as a tool to silence alleged victims. Some areas, including California and parts of New York, are abolishing NDAS for use in sexual harassment cases.

Ms Phillips, the Labour MP for Yardley, added: “I think that the injunction staying in place is ridiculous and it is more of a power play by him so he can still hold all the cards.”

Critics say it shows that the law is “not fit for purpose” and should be looked at again by Parliament.

Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove, said: “I went into politics to stand up to bullies, not to roll over to them.” He said that he would like the business, energy and industrial strategy committee, on which he sits, to hold a joint inquiry with the women and equalities committee and the justice committee.

Sir Philip “categorica­lly and wholly denies” allegation­s of “unlawful sexual or racist behaviour”.

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