Crikey sacks columnist Guy Rundle for text to ABC that claimed ‘every grope is now sexual assault’

Exclusive: CEO Will Hayward calls comments appalling' and that he would no longer be publishing his work'

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Crikey's correspondent-at-large Guy Rundle has been sacked after he sent a text to ABC Radio saying sexual assault complaints have gone up because every grope is now a sexual assault".

Guardian Australia understands the ABC told the publisher of Crikey, Private Media, that the message was one of dozens of inflammatory" texts sent by the writer on a variety of topics in recent months to the RN Breakfast show, hosted by Patricia Karvelas. The sexual assault text is the first one Karvelas has read out on air along with his name.

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