Ex-Tory minister raped and physically abused his wife, family court finds

High Court finds disgraced former Tory MP Andrew Griffiths raped his wife in her sleep

Former Tory minister Andrew Griffiths raped and physically abused his wife Kate Griffiths, a High Court judge has found.

The judgment published on Friday detailed the alleged domestic abuse suffered by Kate at the hands of her husband during their marriage.

Judge Elizabeth Williscroft found Andrew had forced Kate to engage in sexual activity using “coercive and controlling behaviour.” The trial also found Andrew had physically assaulted and verbally abused his wife.

This is the first time both parties have been named, after a decision made in November 2020 to protect their anonymity was overturned in the public interest.

Kate supported the publication of both names.

https://twitter.com/DrProudman/status/1469311492721942535?s=20

Andrew, who once served as Theresa May’s chief of staff, resigned in 2018 after a Sunday Times investigation revealed he had subjected two constituents to over 2000 sexually explicit messages over the course of two days in 2018.

Kate subsequently ran for the post, succeeding her husband as the Tory MP for Burton and Uttoxeter in Staffordshire.