CBI is rocked by new claims of sexual misconduct: Woman who says she was raped at staff boat party on Thames is among more than a dozen ‘victims’ to come forward – after boss Tony Danker stood down in harassment probe

• Confederation of British Industry director general Tony Danker hit by complaints
• Among them was one from female worker accusing him of ‘unwanted contact’

Britain’s most influential business lobbying group is in crisis after new allegations of widespread sexual misconduct – including rape at a staff party – surfaced.

More than a dozen women claim to have been victims of senior staff at the Confederation of British Industry.

One woman says she was raped by a senior colleague at a CBI boat party on the River Thames in the summer of 2019.

She claims she was then let down by a manager who encouraged her to seek counselling rather than pursue the matter and says she did not report the incident to the police.

The CBI told the Guardian it had no record of the incident.

Mr Danker spoke on behalf of the business lobby group as recently as a week ago to call for tax breaks which could deliver a £52billion-a-year boost to investment and help Britain get ‘back in the game’ globally.

Then British Prime Minister David Cameron speaks at the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) annual conference on November 19, 2012

Other allegations include an attempted sexual assault by a manager at the same boat party and that a senior manager sent explicit images to junior female staff over several years.

Senior managers have also been accused of behaving inappropriately towards younger female colleagues, with one former board member allegedly touching a woman’s bottom.

A manager allegedly propositioned women after pushing them to drink more alcohol, while cocaine use was reportedly widespread at CBI events. One of the women said: ‘There are some kind men who work at the CBI. But there are also men who prey on younger women.

‘The experience of being targeted destroyed my confidence at work and in other parts of my personal life.’

The CBI said it had looked into an allegation around Mr Danker’s conduct in January but found that ‘the issue did not require escalation to a disciplinary process’

The CBI has more than 300 employees and champions workplace equality. It claims to represent 190,000 businesses and to have regular interactions with prime ministers and members of the Cabinet.

The women came forward after complaints against the CBI’s director general, Tony Danker, emerged last month.

A female CBI employee alleged that she had been sexually harassed by Mr Danker. An independent inquiry has been launched and Mr Danker has stood down until a decision is reached. None of the new claims, which have been included in the inquiry, relate to him.

A spokesman for the CBI said: ‘The CBI continues to treat all matters of workplace conduct with the utmost seriousness, which is why last month, we commissioned a thorough investigation by an independent law firm into all recent allegations that have been put to us.

‘It would be damaging and prejudicial to all the individuals involved to comment on these allegations at this point. We will not hesitate to take any necessary action when the investigation concludes.’

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