Energy Secretary Rick Perry has come under fire for comments insisting that fossil fuels could limit sexual assaults in Africa, The Hill reports.

Perry's statements came during a discussion about energy policy with Meet the Press host Chuck Todd and Axios CEO and founder Jim VandeHei. 

Perry said that he "just got back from Africa … where people are dying … because of the lack of energy they have there."

The secretary said that he also spoke with a little girl who told him that she reads by the light of a fire that gives off toxic fumes at night. He said that "it's going to take fossil fuels" to solve problems like hers, and also other problems, problems like sexual assault.

"But also from the standpoint of sexual assault,” Perry said. “When the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will on those types of acts.”

The criticism was swift and biting:

While discussing the energy issues in Africa, Perry did not mention which of the continent's countries he encountered the girl, or in what communities fossil fuels could save people from sexual assault.

The backlash his statements have caused forced the DOE to release a statement to clarify the intent behind the comments. 

“The secretary was making the important point that while many Americans take electricity for granted there are people in other countries who are impacted by their lack of electricity,” Shaylyn Hynes, an agency spokeswoman said.

She added that an unnamed person from an energy conference last week told the secretary that electricity could curve sexual assault, and improve security.  

"Another leader told him about how women in their country have to go to the store every day for a new carton of milk because they don't have a working refrigerator," Hynes added. "Those powerful stories stuck with him and that is what he was sharing with the crowd in Washington today.”

Rick Perry in Africasexual harrassment