Ukip candidate investigated over rape ‘joke’
A Ukip candidate in the European elections is being investigated by police after releasing a video suggesting he might rape Labour MP Jess Phillips.
Carl Benjamin, who had previously come under fire for a social media message in which he said he “wouldn’t even rape” the Birmingham Yardley MP, posted a video online suggesting that “with enough pressure I might cave”.
West Midlands Police said they had received a report of a malicious communication and were investigating whether an offence had been committed.
Ms Phillips said she broke down in tears after being told of Mr Benjamin’s comments.
Mr Benjamin released the video on Youtube where he has a large following under the name Sargon of Akkad.
After announcing a list of spoof Ukip policies, including invading Spain and restoring the British Empire, he said: “There’s been an awful lot of talk about whether I would or wouldn’t rape Jess Phillips.
“I’ve been in a lot of trouble for my hardline stance of not even raping her. I suppose with enough pressure I might cave. But let’s be honest, nobody’s got that much beer.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Police have received a report of malicious communications relating to
MP Jess Phillips. Officers have spoken to Ms Phillips and the comments are being investigated to establish if an offence has taken place.”
Ms Phillips told the BBC’S Victoria Derbyshire that she broke down in tears in Birmingham city centre “just because I felt the enormous weight of years and years and years of abuse”.
The Labour MP – a frequent target of online trolls – said: “I realised that I did what all women do in these situations. I had been putting a brave face on it and pretending that it was all fine and that I could cope. It dawned on me that, for four years essentially, this man had made a career out of harassing me. And I felt harassed.
“I felt ‘how can somebody say that they would rape me if forced and be a legitimate candidate in an election?’”
The Birmingham MP has called for people who “promote rape and sexual violence” to have a lifetime ban from running for elected office.
After the interview, Ukip’s official Twitter feed posted: “The year is 2019. Jokes you’d hear down the pub are now worthy of police investigation.”
Carl Benjamin is an unquestionably despicable person. The Ukip European election candidate tweeted he “wouldn’t even rape” Labour MP Jess Phillips, then later suggested that he might, comments which are now being investigated by the police. Benjamin claims this was a joke. Any decent human being knows threats of sexual violence are not funny. If you do not, you are not a decent human being.
In Phillips’ case, this is particularly important because she is an MP. If politicians start trying to intimidate each other, that is a threat to
democracy. And far too many female politicians have received vile misogynistic hate mail and threats in recent years. Ukip has attempted to defend Benjamin. While it continues to do so, no one should vote for them. There is a risk this kind of behaviour becomes normalised, that even those who disagree start to shrug their shoulders in dismay but do little else.
All decent people must abandon their innate politeness and make it clear that Benjamin and others like him are repulsive, contemptible and unworthy of anyone’s attention.