Police to probe charges against Benson-Pope

David Benson-Pope

The Police Commissioner will investigate allegations that Labour MP David Benson-Pope physically assaulted some of his former students.

Prime Minister Helen Clark last night said Solicitor-General Terence Arnold had recommended the allegations be passed to the commissioner to decide whether a prosecution should be started.

Mr Benson-Pope is accused of striking a pupil and making his nose bleed, and of stuffing a tennis ball in a student's mouth and taping his hands to a table. Five former students, who claim to be victims, have publicly detailed the abuse.

In Parliament last week, Mr Benson-Pope firmly denied the allegations. However, on Monday night he stood down from Cabinet and Helen Clark said there would be an inquiry.

Mr Arnold has advised her that referring the allegations to the Police Commissioner, Rob Robinson, is the most appropriate action.

The move is considered unusual, as allegations surrounding MPs are usually investigated by QCs.

But in 2000, allegations of rape and underage sex surrounding then Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels were referred to the police, which could be seen as a precedent for Mr Benson-Pope's case. The police cleared Mr Samuels of the allegations, but he was not reinstated to Cabinet.

Act leader Rodney Hide, who first raised the allegations in Parliament last week, said referring the matter to the police was appropriate.

"But I don't have confidence the commissioner is independent of Helen Clark," he said.

Yesterday, Mr Hide laid a complaint alleging Mr Benson-Pope had misled Parliament when he denied he had physically abused his former students. Mr Hide laid the breach of privilege complaint with Speaker Margaret Wilson, who will rule whether the case should proceed to Parliament's privileges committee.

Last night, TV3 reported that the five men it has interviewed were willing to co-operate with any inquiry.