Equalities LGBTI spokesperson for The UK Green Party Aimee Challenor has stepped down from the race to become the party’s deputy leader after her father was convicted for child rape.
Challenor, 20, is a rising star of the Green Party of England and Wales. Her father David Challenor was previously her election agent.
The man, 50, has been sentenced to 22 years for child abuse. He tortured and raped a 10-year-old girl in the attic of their house in Coventry, England.
Despite stepping down from the race for deputy, Aimee Challenor said she is not leaving the party.
Aimee Challenor’s statement
Aimee Challenor released a statement to express her dismay at her father’s crimes. She also announced her withdrawal from the party’s leadership race.
‘This week, my father was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a series of serious sexual offenses including rape and gross indecency,’ Aimee wrote on 26 August.
‘I am horrified, I am saddened, I am disgusted and I am devastated by these events. I am still coming to terms with what has happened and have taken some time away from social media before commenting publicly.’
She motivated her decision by explaining she doesn’t want her father’s actions to affect the work of the party.
‘I do not want the Deputy leadership election to be dominated by what my father has done. I do not want my relationship with him to damage the Green Party, and I want to ensure the focus stays firmly on the good work that the Party is doing.’
She also said she was unaware of her father’s actions.
‘There were sustained periods where I did not live in the family home’.
Moreover, she added: ‘The offences committed by my father took place in the attic of our family home. I did not go into the attic during my adult life – it was considered “dad’s space”. That didn’t seem unusual for me at the time.’
‘For that I am sorry’
‘I cannot be held responsible for the actions of my father. I am not to blame for his behavior,’ she wrote.
‘Yes, he was my election agent. This was one of a number of ways I was seeking to reconcile my relationship with my father after coming out of care. On reflection, I can understand that it was unacceptable for me to appoint my dad as my election agent when he had been arrested. I can now understand the potential risks of that decision. For that I am sorry.’
Aimee appointed her father as her election agent for the General Election in 2017 and local election in May 2018, after his arrest.
Furthermore, she clarified her own transition has nothing to do with her father.
‘I am incredibly sad and angry that my own very personal decision to transition is being linked to my father’s behavior,’ she also said.
‘I made a decision to transition at a young age, while I was in care. This is a deeply personal journey for me and one which I have made independently from my relationship with my dad. I was not influenced to do so, told to do so, asked to do so. I am a trans woman and this is my own journey.’
Challenor is not leaving the Green Party
My statement will stay pinned to the top of my twitter for quite a while, and I’ll be taking a break from my @TheGreenParty roles to give me the space and time to clear my head and re-engage. This doesn’t mean I’m quitting or going. The party have been clear of their support.
— Aimee Challenor (@GreenPartyAimee) August 28, 2018
‘I’ll be taking a break from my @TheGreenParty roles to give me the space and time to clear my head and re-engage,’ she tweeted on 28 August.
‘This doesn’t mean I’m quitting or going. The party have been clear of their support.’
The Green Party’s statement
The Green Party commented on the incident in a statement.
‘We apologize unreservedly that Mr. Challenor was able to act as an election agent for Aimee Challenor in the 2017 General Election and the local elections in May this year despite the nature of the charges brought against him. A full investigation into how this was able to happen is taking place,’ they wrote.
‘Aimee will not be undertaking any official Green Party roles while the party urgently looks into the circumstances which allowed this situation to arise.’
Moreover, they also expressed support to Aimee.
‘The offenses have been dealt with through the criminal justice system and Aimee has requested privacy, which we respect, and we are offering her our support at this challenging time.’
‘The Green Party was not aware of any of these allegations until the case concluded and Mr. Challenor had been sentenced.’
Aimee was not expelled
Feminist writer Julie Bindel also weighed in to express her support for Aimee. However, she also asked the Green Party’s co-leader Caroline Lucas about the decision not to expel Aimee.
@CarolineLucas. Aimee Challenor is not responsible for her father’s crimes. But she did employ him – a man charged with rape, kidnap & torture of a child, as her election agent. You expelled a woman from your party for using the wrong pronouns. Why did you not expel Aimee?
— Julie Bindel (@bindelj) August 28, 2018
‘Aimee Challenor is not responsible for her father’s crimes. But she did employ him – a man charged with rape, kidnap & torture of a child, as her election agent,’ she wrote.
She furthermore added: ‘You expelled a woman from your party for using the wrong pronouns. Why did you not expel Aimee?’
Bindel refers to Olivia Palmer, who stood as a candidate for the Green Party in the 2015 and 2017 General Elections.
Palmer joined a Channel 4 debate on gender identity in the UK in May 2018. Trans participants, including Munroe Bergdorf and Caitlyn Jenner, were repeatedly heckled by audience members. One was later identified as Palmer, who got suspended from the party.
Palmer never apologized and she even referred to Bergdorf as a man on Twitter. In the same tweet, she also called Challenor a man.
Ian Huntley is a man. Bruce Jenner is a man. Munroe Bergdorf is a man. Aimee Challenor is a man. So ban me Twitter you not shutting me up!
— Olivia 🇪🇺💚 ♀☮️ Ⓥ (@Olivia4Hersham) June 11, 2018
GSN has reached out to The Green Party for further comment.
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