A WOMAN sexually assaulted by a colleague accused her employer, Oxfordshire County Council, of lacking “compassion and understanding” over the incident.

Yesterday, a judge said the authority had been too slow to refer the complaint made against roads and transport team leader Peter Brown to the police.

The 56-year-old devout Christian, from Ardens Bold, in Drayton near Banbury, has now been ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community after a jury found him guilty of groping a woman in her home.

His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said during the trial that Brown came to her home in September 2011, after months of inappropriate behaviour.

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She told the jury that after saying he had come to fix her shower, Brown sexually assaulted her in her bedroom.

Giving evidence, she said: “He ended up pushing me down on to the bed and he had his hands on my back.

“Initially, I didn’t do anything because I was frozen. I was saying ‘stop, I don’t want this, stop’.”

Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Gordon Risius said when the complaint was made to council managers, they did not immediately refer it to the police.

He said: “A council investigation did not resolve everything, not least because for some reason, the allegation of criminal assault was not referred promptly to the police, as it should have been, for investigating in the usual way.”

Speaking during the Oxford Crown Court hearing, Naomi Perry, prosecuting, said the complainant’s “personal self-esteem” had been undermined by the assault.

She added: “When she did bring the matter to the attention of the council, through the proper channels, as an employee should, and was not believed, it was further undermined.

“If the council had acted in the way it should have done, (the complainant) would have kept her job at the council and (Brown) would not have had his.”

The complaint was eventually referred to Thames Valley Police in June last year.

In a statement after the hearing yesterday, Brown’s victim said: “I hope my former employer will now learn to have some humility when dealing with staff complaints of a serious and sensitive nature.

“Procedures have no value when compassion and understanding are not present.”

A spokesman for the county council said: “We note the judge’s observations regarding the referral of this matter to the police and will look into these concerns immediately.

“Mr Brown is not currently at work, pending a disciplinary investigation in the light of the court verdict.”

He added: “We cannot comment further but take this matter very seriously.”

Brown was made subject to a community order for two years, with supervision and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also told to pay £3,500 costs, £500 compensation and a £60 victims’ surcharge.

The victim added: "I'm thankful to Thames Valley Police and especially the PC who dealt with my case professionally and with thoroughness."

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