News

Westminster child sexual abuse inquiry to consider if parties ‘turned a blind eye‘

A major inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse linked to Westminster will consider whether political parties “turned a blind eye”.

The latest phase of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is reviewing how institutions responded to claims made against prominent people.

Brian Altman, lead counsel to the inquiry, said it would examine whether there were any attempted cover-ups.

He pointed out some allegations had already been shown to be false.

Giving his opening statement on Monday, Mr Altman said that, despite this, it was “both necessary and appropriate for this inquiry to investigate, albeit in a limited and proportionate manner” during the three-week hearing.

‘Extremely serious‘

As part of its investigation, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) will examine the role of party - who help organise party business and have the role of persuading MPs and peers to vote along party lines.

It will investigate whether any whips became aware of allegations and “tried to turn such allegations to their advantage” to keep party colleagues in line.

Mr Altman said they will look at “whether it is true that the Whips‘ offices of any party failed to report or, worse, assisted in suppressing allegations or evidence of child sexual abuse”.

It will also look at whether the “Westminster establishment sought to influence policing or prosecutors‘ decisions”. There will be evidence on “whether there was a culture whereby people of public prominence were shielded from investigation and their wrongdoing tolerated at the expense of their victims”, added Mr Altman.

The way political parties, “in particular the leadership of these parties”, reacted to allegations of abuse made against their members will also be looked at.

There will be three case studies - including how the Liberal Party (now known as the Liberal Democrats) responded to allegations made against late MP Cyril Smith. Another case study will look at allegations against the late Conservative MP for Chester, Peter Morrison.

The third, most recent, case study will look at Green Party member David Challenor. He was jailed for 22 years last year after being convicted of sexual assault against a 10-year-old girl, the hearing was told. He was allowed to remain an active member of the party while he awaited trial, Mr Altman said.

Just-released report names Cannabis Stock of the Year for 2019! Their last pick has seen a +1,200% return since he released it!

This stock has all of the makings of the next great cannabis stock – early-mover advantage, international exposure and influential partnerships, plus it has a product that is unlike anything else on the market…

You will also receive a free, weekly newsletter to stay on top of the latest industry trends, read analysis on promising cannabis stocks, and more. Click here to receive your Free Report immediately!

They are “extremely serious issues”, he added, telling the inquiry in central London: “The gravity of these issues in this investigation, we suggest, lies in the fact that they related directly to the alleged conduct of elected representatives.”

He said a question by Labour‘s Tom Watson in the House of Commons in 2012, in which he said there was “clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to Parliament and No 10”, could be seen as the “catalyst for the establishment of this inquiry”.

While there have been critics opposed to the work of the inquiry, Mr Altman said it aims to address “outstanding issues of public concern”.

The most serious allegations, from a man called Carl Beech - known by the pseudonym Nick at the time he made the claims to protect his identity - are not being considered by the inquiry.

, accused of fraud and perverting the course of justice. He denies the charges.

The Westminster part of the inquiry is set to last for three weeks. It is one of 13 strands being considered by the IICSA, which was set up in 2015 amid allegations a paedophile ring once operated in Westminster. Professor Alexis Jay is chairing the inquiry, which covers England and Wales.

Witnesses this month are set to include representatives of MI5, the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

As part of his opening statement, Mr Altman listed a string of allegations against MPs - without concluding whether they were true or false.

‘Waste of money‘

Before the hearing began, the son of the late Labour peer Lord Janner - - accused the inquiry of being a “witch hunt against dead politicians”.

Daniel Janner, speaking outside the inquiry‘s headquarters, said it would “unjustly trash” the reputations of people like his father as well as Sir Edward Heath and Lord Brittan, adding they “cannot answer back from the grave”.

He described it as a “massive, out-of-control waste of money” which was “contrary to the basic principles of British justice”.

Allegations involving Lord Janner are to be dealt with during a separate strand of the inquiry.

The inquiry says its Westminster investigation will cover:

One area of inquiry will be the activities of the Paedophile Information Exchange, a campaign group which pushed for sex with children to be legal. There are allegations it had access to Home Office funding.

Receive News & Ratings Via Email - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*