"All hell broke loose": Barnaby Joyce accuser breaks her silence
A businesswoman from Western Australia, who alleges Barnaby Joyce sexually harassed her at a Canberra party, has come forward about the events she was faced with after her confidential complaint leaked.
Speaking to 7.30 in an interview which will air tonight, Catherine Marriott said the complaint that she lodged earlier this year took away “the control I had over my own identity.”
Tomorrow on #abc730, @leighsales interviews businesswoman Catherine Marriott, who alleges she was sexually harassed by Barnaby Joyce. Mr Joyce denies the allegations. #auspol pic.twitter.com/nNSIoLflz5
— abc730 (@abc730) 17 September 2018
Ms Marriott, who is a former WA Rural Woman of the Year, reached out to a lawyer friend to lodge the sexual harassment complaint which she hoped would remain private.
Much to her dismay, the confidential letter was leaked to the media only a few days later and Ms Marriott found herself at the centre of a political and media storm. Joyce was quick to deny the allegations.
According to Ms Marriott, in August 2016 the former National Party leader sexually harassed her at a Canberra function. Though the investigation was later dismissed earlier this month due to “insufficient evidence.”
“(After the incident) I walked up to my hotel room and I burst into tears. I then couldn’t sleep that whole night. I didn’t actually sleep for a week,” Ms Marriott told ABC’s 7.30.
“I rang two of my closest friends and I told them what had happened, and they said they couldn’t believe … they were just absolutely shocked, and they said, ‘You can’t tell anyone. You cannot tell anyone … you will be destroyed if this comes out.'”
But it was six months later after the incident occurred when Ms Marriott heard the words of Dolly Everett, a 14-year-old girl who took her own life after constant bullying.
In a photograph before her death, Dolly had written, “Speak, even if your voice shakes.”
It was that quote that prompted Ms Marriott to contact her lawyer friend and draft the complaint – though she was still afraid.
“When it happened, he was the Ag Minister. He was a very popular Ag Minister at that time, and I didn’t … I was … I’m just a little human against a big system, and I was terrified,” Ms Marriott said.
At the time of the complaint, Joyce was stuck in a media storm as it was revealed that one of his staff members Vikki Campion was pregnant with his child. Joyce was married at the time.
Joyce’s resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and National Party Leader was handed in shortly as Ms Marriott’s complaint was a trigger for him to step down.
Ms Marriott said the leak, which she believes was done by the National Party, was “one of the most frightening things that you will ever have to live through".
When asked about the events that followed after the leak, the businesswoman said it was something she would “live now with for the rest of my life".
“All hell broke loose,” Ms Marriott said.
“I think it was … you know, I think it was really unfair, and it was really horrific.”
Ms Marriott hopes that her complaint changes the way Australia’s political parties approach allegations of sexual assault.
She also maintains that she never intended for the complaint to go public.
In February, Ms Marriott released a statement through her lawyer Emma Salerno.
“On February 20, 2018, I wrote a formal letter of complaint to the Federal Executive of the National Party outlining an allegation of sexual harassment against Barnaby Joyce,” she wrote.
“I want to stress that I never intended for this issue to become public.
“I requested that a formal and confidential investigation into this incident be undertaken by the National Party to ensure there is accountability in relation to the incident I raise, and to prevent this type of inappropriate behaviour towards women in the future.”
She said the complaint “was not made solely to address the incident against me – it is about speaking up against the inappropriate behaviour by people in powerful positions.”
An investigation conducted by the National Party was unable to find evidence, they announced earlier this month.
The party released a statement saying the investigation was complete, but the result would remain confidential.