Brittany Lauga, an Australian MP, has alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted in the central Queensland town of Yeppoon last weekend. In a statement posted on social media, the Queensland Labor MP said she had contacted police in the early hours of April 28 morning.
“Tests at the hospital confirmed the presence of drugs in my body which I did not take. This substance impacted me significantly,” Brittany Lauga in an Instagram post.
Brittany Lauga added that throughout the week, she had been contacted by several other women from the town who had similar experiences. “This could have happened to anyone and tragically, it does happen to many of us,” the Australian MP said.
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“I have had multiple women contact me who have experienced the same thing in our town. It’s not ok. We should be able to enjoy socialising in our town without the risk of being drugged or assaulted,” Brittany Lauga added.
A video, purported to be of the alleged assault of Brittany Lauga filmed from across the street, is circulating online, The Guardian reported. Brittany Lauga was alerted to its existence in the hours after she reported the assault to police.
The Queensland Police Service has confirmed it is investigating a sexual assault complaint relating to an incident in Yeppoon. Queensland Premier Steven Miles said the government is supporting Brittany Lauga in any way they can, ABC reported.
“No one should have to go through what Brittany is going through,” Steven Miles was quoted as saying.
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“My sole focus is on Brittany and her wellbeing. I have told Brittany Lauga that we are here to support her, whatever she needs,” he added.
Queensland housing minister Meaghan Scanlon said the statement made for “difficult reading”. “Those are shocking allegations … I understand that Brittany is going to take a short time to look after herself and we absolutely support her to do that,” she said.
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Who is Brittany Lauga?
A town planner by profession, 37-year-old Brittany Lauga has been in parliament for nearly a decade, first elected to the seat of Keppel in 2015. Brittany Lauga holds the portfolio of assistant minister for health and regional health infrastructure, The Guardian reported.