PROBE INTO FORMER U.K. PM FOR SEX ABUSE COMES UNDER FIRE.

Investigation into child abuse allegations

A controversial police investigation into former British prime minister Edward Heath has come fire after detectives claimed that, were he alive, the politician would be questioned over child abuse allegations.

Chief Const. Mike Veale of Wiltshire Police said detectives drew no conclusions about the innocence or guilt of Heath, who was Conservative prime minister between 1970 and 1974.

The police report on the investigation, code-named Operation Conifer, released Thursday said “there is sufficient suspicion to have interviewed Sir Edward Heath under criminal caution regarding his suspected involvement in child sexual abuse.”

Police looked at 42 allegations and said there was sufficient suspicion to have questioned Heath about seven of them. They included the alleged rape of an 11-year-old boy in London “during a paid sexual encounter in private in a dwelling” and an alleged indecent assault on a 10-yearold boy.

However, supporters of Heath pointed out that 35 allegations — involving an alleged pedophile ring, satanic abuse and claims of murder — were totally dismissed.

And they accused the police of only saying that Heath would be questioned over seven allegations to justify their two-year, $2.5 million investigation.

Ken Macdonald, Britain’s former top prosecutor, told The Daily Telegraph, “It is no surprise at all that Wiltshire police should have concluded that they would have interviewed Sir Edward had he been alive.

“This gives entirely bogus credibility to their investigation without meaning anything in forensic terms. The bar for interview is low, in most investigations as low as the police want it to be and in the case of a dead man, virtually non-existent. They are covering their backs at the expense of a dead man. Shame on them.”

In a statement, Sir Edward’s former cabinet secretary, Lord Armstrong of Ilminster, and Lord Hunt of Wirral, chairman of the foundation, said the report neither justifies or dispels the “the cloud of suspicion”.

“It contains a summary of the investigation, but draws no conclusion as to Sir Edward’s guilt, although during the investigation the chief constable was heard to express, as he certainly should not have done, his personal view that Sir Edward Heath was probably guilty,” said the statement.

The statement called for an independent review by a retired judge. “In the meantime, a fundamental, timehonoured principle should be respected, namely that a man is innocent until he is proven guilty.”

Heath died in 2005 aged 89.