Guernsey Deputy Gavin St Pier says he was sexual assault victim

18 June 2020

Guernsey's most senior politician has revealed he was the victim of a sexual assault decades ago.

During a debate on the island's sexual offences law on Wednesday, Deputy Gavin St Pier said he had only ever spoken of the assault to his family.

He hopes his comments will help break the "taboo" of speaking out.

The speech came following the success of his amendment, which enables courts to determine if alcohol or drugs prevented a victim from consenting.

In debate on the amendment, Mr St Pier read the testimonies of islanders who had experienced sexual violence, revealing later that one was his own.

However, he emphasised the experience was not his "main motivation" for the amendment or the source of his "passion for this topic".

"That comes from another story that is not mine to tell," Mr St Pier added.

'Hidden problem'

He said the experience had not "defined him" or left him physically damaged, but it had left him "psychologically traumatised" for some time.

Mr St Pier said: "I cried, I was disgusted, I felt ashamed, I felt embarrassed, I felt humiliated, I felt responsible and guilty.

"And I took the hand of that trusty, non-consensual co-conspirator - silence - and said nothing.

"I have lived with the reasons people don't speak up. I understand how a few minutes lived can turn into hundreds of hours reflection."

Mr St Pier emphasised he was not "in search of sympathy", but was hoping to break the "taboo" of speaking about sexual assault.

He said: "In all honesty there's absolutely nothing I'd rather have done than stayed silent throughout this debate.

"Sexual violence is a major, hidden, underreported and untalked of social problem in the heart of our community.

"We can and should ignore it no longer. We need systemic change to support victims, but most of all we need cultural change."

The update to the sexual offences law was agreed unanimously.