Suspended Horner accuser 'scared and intimidated' as saga continues

The woman at the centre of the Christian Horner investigation is ‘upset and scared’ over the situation, according to reports.

The saga surrounding the Red Bull team principal has been hanging over the team since December last year, when he was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female colleague.

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Horner has constantly denied these allegations and has remained in his post during the matter, which was concluded with Horner being cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation by the team.

Since then, the female accuser has been suspended by Red Bull on full pay and has filed an appeal to the decision to the team and also an official complaint to the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

Horner accuser 'very upset and scared'

BBC Sport have reported that the employee is unable to discuss her claims, having signed a legal document preventing her for disclosing the matter to anyone besides her father or her brother.

That is according to a family friend that the BBC spoke to exclusively – on the condition that they remain anonymous – and they say that Horner’s accuser ‘struggles to understand’ how Red Bull dismissed her complaint and that she is ‘very upset’ over the ordeal.

"It's impossible for people to understand what it's like for her," said the friend. "She can't talk and she won't talk.

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"But I can tell you what it is doing to her. Every time I have asked her something, she breaks down in tears and says she's got no-one to talk to because she's not allowed to talk.

"She is very upset, very angry, very scared, very intimidated, very lonely. And I think it's impossible for people to understand without being in her shoes what it's like for her."

A Red Bull spokesperson also gave comment to the BBC and reiterated the legal agreement in place about the matter: "Both [parties] signed a confidentiality agreement on it so they both can't discuss it."

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