Former NSW Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos charged with 15 new child sex abuse offences

Former Liberal candidate investigated over sexual abuse of children

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A former state Liberal Party candidate is the subject of a police investigation over allegations he sexually assaulted two children.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was recently arrested and interviewed at a suburban police station.  It is understood the man was committed to a psychiatric facility for assessment upon his release from police custody.

Detectives responded immediately to a complaint from a relative regarding the man's behavior around the children.  It is understood that members of the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team are now involved in the probe.

The man, a father of several children, contested for a state seat in the past decade but was unsuccessful.  He vowed to "ensure families get a fairer deal and are no longer taken for granted by Labor".

He also claimed to have led an "exciting and diverse career", but The Age is unable to provide further details in order to protect the identities of his alleged victims.

'It was very quick and very sudden': Liberal staffers reveal alleged sexual assaults

Two women who say they were sexually assaulted while working for senior politicians have blasted the Liberal Party's culture, as pressure grows for action on a long-awaited review ordered in the wake of last year's federal leadership turmoil.

One woman who worked for a federal minister said another parliamentary staffer pinned her down and ripped off her underpants during a sitting week in Canberra in 2015, while a former staffer to the NSW speaker said a fellow Liberal came to her house the same year and forced himself on her whilst masturbating

Both women are now speaking publicly after pleas for a new robust, transparent and confidential internal complaints process were ignored.  Both women say they raised the incidents with more senior party figures but were dismissed, and are now speaking publicly to make the case for a new robust, transparent and confidential internal party complaints process.

Their concerns about the Liberal Party's culture are shared by a number of high-profile members including 50-year party veteran Kathryn Greiner, who has called for "a very different kind of attitude from the very top".