Kevin Vuong, the former Liberal Party candidate who was ousted from the party, released a statement on Monday saying that he will sit as an independent MP in Spadina-Fort York.
Vuong won the seat, despite being charged with sexual assault in 2019. Those charges, however, were later withdrawn.
In the statement, Vuong said "On Monday, Canadians across the country cast their votes. Not everyone will have received the result they wanted, but everyone is counting on those elected to devote themselves to the service of everyone they represent. That is what I intend to do.
The statement continues: "I appreciate that not everyone is happy with my election, and I very much understand why it is different in my case. For those who feel this way, I understand the source of your doubts and I will work hard to earn your trust."
The woman implicated in the alleged sexual assault previously confirmed with Global News she had been on several dates with Vuong after matching on a dating app in February. She claimed the alleged assault happened on April 8, when he came over to her residence to watch a movie.
Shortly after falling asleep, the woman said she woke up to what felt like "somebody touching me, and I felt something tickling my neck."
"I kept my eyes closed from the moment I woke up just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, and I wanted to be sure what was going on," she said.
"When it happened, I was taken aback because I think it was one thing. If I was awake and he tried to make advancements, I would have shut it down. We wouldn't even be here. But the fact of the matter is that I was asleep, I was unconscious, and I couldn't consent to something," she added.
Vuong's statement concludes: "I also want to acknowledge the events in the final days of the election. Allegations of sexual assault are a serious matter, deserving of more discussion than this statement can provide. For these reasons, I intend to address them at a later date more wholly in a dedicated forum. For now, it is necessary to clarify that we were involved in a casual but intimate relationship. I understood everything to be consensual and was always respectful of her boundaries. I do not take these allegations against me lightly. For years, the voices of those who have experienced sexual violence were silenced. Given these challenges, I understand why some may be hesitant to believe the allegations made against me are false even if the charges were withdrawn. I continue to support the movement that we are seeing in society to confront what contributes to people's feelings around a lack of safety, opportunity, and of equal participation in our society."
"There is work to be done to regain trust, I fully intend to do so."
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