#MeToo. PHOTO AFP
The cries of injustice erupted after The Daily Telegraph devoted its front page Wednesday to a story headlined: "The British #MeToo scandal which cannot be revealed."
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The paper said the second-most senior judge in England issued a temporary injunction Tuesday against the publication of sexual harassment and racial abuse allegations by at least five employees against their boss.
The paper said the accused man had hired seven lawyers and spent nearly £500,000 ($645,000, 565,000 euros) in legal fees to settle the complaints using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
It followed up the story with another Thursday in which a woman identified only as a "well-known socialite" said she believed the same businessman slid a hand up her skirt at a function a decade ago.
The mass-selling tabloid The Sun devoted three pages Thursday to the "Brit #MeToo gagging scandal" headlined "Gags to Riches".
The popular commuter newspaper called it a "MeToo cover-up" while The Times interviewed a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein who exposed the US film mogul's behaviour despite signing an NDA.
The case "highlights the weaponisation of NDAs and how they are being used unethically," former Weinstein assistant Zelda Perkins told The Times.
Non-disclosure agreements are signed by companies and their executives to prevent business secrets from leaking out.
Their use has been a source of controversy and debate since the MeToo movement first gained momentum in the wake of the Weinstein allegations last year.
They were used by Weinstein and lawyers for US President Donald Trump with porn actress Stormy Daniels and at least one other woman.
British Prime Minister Theresa May stressed in parliament Wednesday that NDAs "cannot stop people from whistle-blowing".
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May was asked to take a stand on The Daily Telegraph case during a question-and-answer session with MPs during which several spoke up for the paper.
The British premier said she could not weigh in on ongoing court hearings but vowed to "bring forward measures for consideration, for consultation to seek to improve the regulation around non-disclosure agreements".
The Daily Telegraph said the government's new "consultation document" on NDAs will be published next week.
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