The £118m child sex abuse probe finds no evidence of Westminster paedophile network

Britain’s £118million child abuse inquiry has found no evidence of a Westminster paedophile ring that Labour’s Tom Watson insisted had existed, it was revealed today.

Mr Watson quit as an MP before last year’s general election after being widely criticised for backing convicted child abuse fantasist Carl Beech, who was called ‘Nick’ by police.

Today a report by the Independent Inquiry Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) revealed there was no evidence of a Westminster paedophile network at the heart of government, counter to Watson’s 2012 allegations widely seen as the catalyst for the probe.  

There is also no proof such a sex ring was covered up by security services or police, the panel has concluded. 

But the inquiry has found that Westminster’s institutions have ‘turned a blind eye’ to respond to other allegations of child sex abuse for decades.  

The political establishment in Westminster ‘repeatedly failed to deal with allegations of child sexual abuse’, covering up claims and protecting high-profile MPs including Sir Cyril Smith and Sir Peter Morrison, the damning report says. 

the fantasist better known as 'Nick' was later jailed for 18 years for his web of lies

Tom Watson had claimed that there was a Westminster child sex abuse ring based on Carl Beech’s evidence – but the fantasist better known as ‘Nick’ was later jailed for 18 years for his web of lies

The inquiry heard from a host of high profile figures including Prince Charles, two ex-prime ministers, six former government ministers, a former Director General of MI5, three archbishops, one cardinal and 31 chief constables.

In addition, during the three weeks of public hearings last year, the inquiry also heard from survivors, whistleblowers, cabinet ministers and MPs and police officers among others.

The scathing report revealed a significant problem with ‘deference towards people of public prominence,’ from the Whips’ offices to the police and prosecutors.

MPs including Sir Cyril Smith and Sir Peter Morrison, in the 1970s and 1980s, were known to be active in their sexual interest in children, but were protected from prosecution.

Giving evidence, former Liberal Party leader Lord Steel said that because allegations against Smith had arisen before he joined the party, he saw ‘no reason, or no locus to go back to [it]’.

This failure to recognise the risks was an abdication of responsibility, and the fact the offences were non-recent was irrelevant.

Meanwhile, senior officials within the Conservative party knew about allegations concerning Morrison for years but failed to pass them on to police.

Instead, he became Margaret Thatcher’s Parliamentary Private Secretary in 1990 and was knighted the following year.

Victor Montagu, the former MP for South Dorset and 10th Earl of Sandwich, was let off with a caution after a 10-year-old boy alleged he had indecently assaulted him.

Montagu’s son Robert, who he also sexually abused for over five years, said the decision not to prosecute was ‘entirely wrong and very indicative of the attitude towards people in public positions’.

The report concludes that these are examples of a political culture which ‘values its reputation far higher than the fate of the children involved.’

The report’s findings were also damning of modern political parties. As recently as 2017, Green Party election candidate Aimee Challenor was able to appoint her father as election agent, even though he had been charged with sexually assaulting a child and was later convicted.

The Inquiry also investigated the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE), which

campaigned in the 1970s to lower the age of consent, as well as public acceptance of paedophilia.

A number of its members sexually abused children, including Sir Peter Hayman, a former High Commissioner to Canada. The report concludes that PIE was given ‘foolish and misguided’ support for several years by organisations who ‘should have known better.’ Those organisations included the National Council for Civil Liberties and the Albany Trust.

This investigation was launched following major concerns about the way Westminster institutions handled allegations of child sexual abuse.

It found ‘a consistent pattern of deference towards people of public prominence emerged, with political status repeatedly valued above the welfare of children.’

On the case of Cyril Smith, former police officer Robert Glen told the Inquiry his team had enough evidence to prosecute him in the 1970s for sexual offences against young boys.

However, he said the investigation was thwarted by senior officers who claimed it was ‘too political.’

Meanwhile, Liberal Party members, who were likely to be aware of allegations against Smith, did nothing to inhibit his political progress.

The party leader at the time, Lord Steel, admitted to the Inquiry that he ‘assumed’ Smith had committed the offences alleged in a Private Eye article, but took no action as it happened ‘before he was even a member of my party’.

In the late 1980s, it was alleged that Peter Morrison, the Conservative MP for Chester, had been caught by police molesting a 15-year-old boy on a train at Crewe.

The report reveals that the Tory party made efforts to suppress these rumours rather than conduct a formal investigation.

Investigators deemed that the focus remained unswervingly on political consequences rather than the welfare of the child.

It also emerged that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was aware of rumours about Morrison but did nothing, according to Lord Armstrong.

Sir Peter Hayman was also blasted in the report. He held a number of important roles in the diplomatic service between 1964 and 1974, and was also heavily involved with PIE.

In 1978, he was charged with sending obscene material through the post, but escaped with a caution after his solicitor held a ‘personal meeting’ with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

However, his two co-defendants – one of whom was a bus inspector – were prosecuted for the same offence.

The report concluded that his prominent position gave rise to special pleading for which he received ‘special treatment.’

Even now, the report revealed, safeguarding remains a crucial problem for political institutions to address.

Investigators found that the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, UKIP and the Cooperative Party still do not have proper safeguarding policies in place.

The report makes five recommendations, including ensuring all political parties have comprehensive safeguarding policies and procedures.

It also calls on the Cabinet Office to re-examine its policy on the posthumous forfeiture of honours.

Chair of the Inquiry, Professor Alexis Jay OBE, said: ‘It is clear to see that Westminster institutions have repeatedly failed to deal with allegations of child sexual abuse, from turning a blind eye to actively shielding abusers.

‘A consistent pattern emerged of failures to put the welfare of children above political status although we found no evidence of an organised network of paedophiles within Government.

‘We hope this report and its recommendations will lead political institutions to prioritise the needs and safety of vulnerable children.’

Much of the evidence for the inquiry stemmed from a public hearing in the Westminster investigation held from between March 4 and 29 last year.

As of 30 September last year, the cost of the inquiry was £118.25m.The mass inquiry required two and a quarter million pages of evidence processed.

 

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