House Speaker Trevor Mallard has apologised for giving the impression that allegations made against a former parliamentary staffer amounted to "rape".
Mallard stood down the individual in May 2019 following the release of the Francis Review into bullying and harassment in Parliament which raised allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
The report did not identify the accused offender, which Mallard said was integral to the review, but he did acknowledge at the time that he knew who the offender was and that he had been stood down.
The Francis Review found 14 reports of sexual assault and Mallard announced that Parliamentary services removed a "threat to the safety of women". He said his impression was that rape had occurred.
The man who was stood down spoke out denying inappropriate behaviour, saying "the accusation of rape has put me in a very dark place".
Former National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett said Mallard's comments were over the line.
"I think he overstepped. I think he was reckless in the language he used, and that's caused a whole lot of problems."
The Speaker didn't directly attribute rape to the man who was stood down but he has now issued a statement confirming he has provided a personal apology to the individual.
He has apologised for the "distress and humiliation his statements caused" to the individual and his family.
"Trevor Mallard accepts that his understanding of the definition of rape at the time was incorrect and that the alleged conduct did not amount to rape (as that term is defined in the Crimes Act 1961) and that it was incorrect of him to suggest otherwise."
