Falloon scandal: Fifth woman comes forward

Andrew Falloon quit as Rangitata MP this week. Photo: NZ Herald
Andrew Falloon quit as Rangitata MP this week. Photo: NZ Herald
National Party leader Judith Collins says another woman has come forward with a complaint about former National MP Andrew Falloon.

Falloon resigned from Parliament this week after sending an indecent picture to a 19-year-old woman.

Police have reopened their original investigation into Falloon after other women either contacted the National Party, or the media.

Collins said this is at least the fifth woman and has encouraged the latest person to go to the police.

Police initially investigated Falloon after reports he sent indecent pictures to the 19-year-old, but found it "did not meet the evidentiary threshold for prosecution".

However, three more women came forward when news broke earlier this week.

The White Ribbon Trust, which is against violence towards women, has removed Falloon as an Ambassador.

Falloon's statement announcing his resignation on Monday - at that point, to take place at the September election - referenced unresolved grief around three friends committing suicide when he was younger, and another friend recently taking their own life having reopened those wounds.

He said he was receiving counselling and had to put his health and wellbeing first.

The next day Collins said Falloon had lied to her and police about inappropriate sexual messages to women.

Questions are now piling up over whether Falloon used mental health as a way of deflecting from the truth.