Several female MPs in New Zealand were ordered to leave Parliament this week for disclosing they were victims of sexual assault.
The group of MPs were ordered from Chamber Wednesday after the Speaker ruled their personal stories of sexual assault out of order.
The opposition MPs were speaking out against remarks made by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday.
Key accused the opposition MPs of “backing the rapists” during a debate on the detention of New Zealanders and convicted criminals at an Australian government facility.
“If you want to put yourself on the side of sex offenders, go ahead my son, but we’ll defend New Zealanders,” Key added.
On Wednesday, several members of the opposition parties demanded the prime minister to retract and apologize for his comments, The Guardian reported.
“As the victim of a sexual assault, I take personal offence at the prime minister’s comments, and ask that you require him to withdraw and apologize,” Green MP Metiria Turei said.
The House Speaker David Carter refused the point of order.
“The prime minister…has not said a word today. I can’t ask him to withdraw and apologize when he hasn’t made a comment today,” Carter said.
Another member of the Green party raised a point of order.
“As a victim of sexual assault and as an advocate for survivors, I would ask that the record expunge the comment from the prime minster,” Jan Logie said.
“Again, as I’ve attempted to explain that cannot be done,” the Speaker said. “What happened yesterday happened yesterday. Collectively, it wasn’t addressed well at the time, but time has passed.”
MPs continued to make points of order, revealing they were victims of violence and sexual assault.
The Speaker warned the chamber that the MPs were “flouting the rules” of the House and the next MP to make a similar point of order would be forced to leave the session.
Despite the warning, at least two other Green party members called for Key to apologize and were ejected from the session.
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