THE Ukrainian Consulate in Edinburgh has broken its silence on the sexual harassment allegations against former council leader Cammy Day.
The Scottish Labour MSP resigned from his role as Edinburgh City Council leader on Monday, after allegations emerged of sexually explicit and unsolicited messages being exchanged with Ukrainian refugees living in Edinburgh.
The consulate, based on Windsor Street near the city centre, has now raised its concerns over the “possible violation” of Ukrainian citizens’ dignity, supporting an investigation to “ensure justice” is served.
The Ukrainian nationals reported that they had been “bombarded” with messages from the politician on social media and dating apps.
Following these accusations, the Consulate of Ukraine released the statement on Monday on “reports of possible violation of Ukrainian citizens’ dignity in Edinburgh”.
The statement reads: “The Consulate of Ukraine in Edinburgh expresses its concern over the media reports about possible cases of sexual harassment of Ukrainian citizens by a local government official.
“We support a thorough investigation of the allegations by the Scottish authorities in order to ensure justice and support for all victims.
“Our goal is to protect the rights and dignity of Ukrainian citizens who have been forced to seek temporary sanctuary in Scotland due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We call on all concerned to act with understanding, tolerance and respect for human rights.
“The Consulate of Ukraine in Edinburgh looks forward to the results of the investigation and expresses hope for a fair resolution of this case.”
Police Scotland have confirmed that they have been investigating a report of “inappropriate behaviour” that was put to them on 22 October.
Councillors have also voted unanimously in favour of backing an investigation into the handling of complaints against the leader, which were raised over 18 months ago.
The independent review will look into the city council’s whistleblowing system, which received complaints about Mr Day last winter, and will consider whether the behavior could have been prevented through safeguarding.
