SYDNEY, June 16 (Reuters) - Australia's main opposition Liberal Party leader asked a senator to resign on Friday following allegations of sexual misconduct against him by female senators, which he has denied. The accusations against Liberal Party Senator David Van follow numerous previous complaints about the culture in Australia's parliament house, which led to an inquiry in 2021 that found one in three people working there had experienced sexual harassment. Earlier this week Thorpe, speaking under parliamentary privilege, said she had been sexually assaulted by Van in the previous parliamentary term, which Van immediately denied. Following Thorpe's comments, former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker said in a statement that Van inappropriately touched her at a party in 2020 by squeezing her bottom twice. A third allegation has also emerged against senator Van, opposition Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton told the media on Friday, without giving details.

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Persons: David Van, Thorpe, Van, Amanda Stoker, Peter Dutton, Dutton, Scott Morrison, Morrison, Praveen Menon, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, Liberal Party, Liberal, Nine Radio, Thomson