Police have launched an investigation into allegations of rape and sexual assault against a multimillionaire tycoon who can be referred to only as Mr X.
The case has been “shrouded in secrecy” since two former female employees lodged employment claims against him in 2017, reports The Times. Here is what we do know.
Who is Mr X?
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According to The Times, the businessman has “extensive establishment connections” and is “one of Britain’s wealthiest men”. He is married with adult children, has homes in London, the countryside and overseas, and according to the judge in the case, is “a public figure with a well-known family name”.
What are the allegations?
The two former female employees who have accused Mr X of assaulting them lodged complaints at an employment tribunal two years ago.
“After a lengthy legal battle, the women accepted significant out-of-court deals and signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) prohibiting them from talking about the employment tribunal case,” reports The Times.
However, it appears that the terms of the NDAs did not prohibit them from making a criminal complaint. One of the women has now done exactly that, accusing Mr X of sexual assault and rape in separate incidents at her former workplace. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In a witness statement during the employment tribunal, one of the women said: “I was shocked to the core and utterly embarrassed and humiliated… I could not believe that this man, in such a position in society, could behave like that.”
She added: “My eyes were closed and I was paralysed with fear, terrified, disorientated and used like a rag doll, totally incapacitated and unable to escape.”
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Why can’t Mr X be named?
The man’s identity is protected by a High Court order. Even the police force investigating the allegations cannot be named.
Police authorities have confirmed to The Times that they are conducting an investigation, but said no arrests had been made.
The secrecy ruling was made last year by Mr Justice Soole, to prevent the newspaper from revealing Mr X’s identity in connection with the employment tribunal allegations .
The judge said that the defendant’s “honour and reputation” should be protected and warned that members of the public might not be able to “distinguish between allegation and proof” when reading about the case.
In a witness statement to the tribunal, Mr X had argued that the publication of his name would be “absolutely devastating” and detrimental to his health, adding that the allegations had already “caused a rift between me and my children”.
