Ex-President ‘groped woman when she was 16’
Former US President George HW Bush is facing another allegation he inappropriately touched a woman. ..
Former US President George HW Bush is facing another allegation he inappropriately touched a woman.
Roslyn Corrigan has claimed he grabbed her bottom when she was aged 16 as they posed for a photo in 2003.
She is reportedly the sixth woman to allege that Mr Bush, who is now 93, groped her.
Ms Corrigan said the alleged incident involving the ex-president, who was then aged 79, happened at an event attended by CIA officers near Houston.
She was there with her mother and her father – an intelligence analyst.
She told Time magazine of the alleged incident: "My initial action was absolute horror. I was really, really confused.
"The first thing I did was look at my mom and, while he was still standing there, I didn't say anything.
"What does a teenager say to the ex-president of the United States? Like, 'Hey dude, you shouldn't have touched me like that?'"
Her family has released a photo showing him standing alongside her at the November 2003 event.
Ms Corrigan said: "As soon as the picture was being snapped on the one-two-three he dropped his hands from my waist down to my buttocks and gave it a nice, ripe squeeze, which would account for the fact that in the photograph my mouth is hanging wide open.
"I was like, 'Oh my goodness, what just happened?'"
Mr Bush was the 41st president and served from 1989 to 1993.
His spokesman, Jim McGrath, said in a statement that he regrets any offensive actions.
He said: "George Bush simply does not have it in his heart to knowingly cause anyone distress, and he again apologises to anyone he offended during a photo op."
The stories came to light last month after Boardwalk Empire actress Heather Lind said Mr Bush touched her from behind in a wheelchair and told a rude joke while they were posing for a photo in 2014.
Mr McGrath said Mr Bush has been in a wheelchair for about five years "so his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures".
Mr Bush has vascular parkinsonism, a rare condition similar to Parkinson's disease, and he uses a wheelchair for mobility.
"To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke and on occasion, he has patted women's rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner," Mr McGrath explained.
Ms Lind spoke out after a string of Hollywood stars came forward to accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, harassment and rape.
She said she had been inspired by "the bravery of other women who have spoken up and written about their experiences".
