Beech documentary branded a ‘cover-up’
A BBC documentary on VIP abuse fantasist Carl Beech was branded a ‘ cover- up’ last night for failing to properly acknowledge the corporation’s own role in the scandal.
The programme had already been reedited following complaints that former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson had been ‘airbrushed’ out. But victims and family members of those smeared by Beech last night accused the BBC of ‘glossing over’ its own failings.
Former MP Harvey Proctor – the only supposed member of the paedophile gang invented by Beech who is still alive – said the fantasist’s claims would not have been taken so seriously had the BBC not given him such ‘ substantial airtime’. Its home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds interviewed Beech – initially known only as ‘Nick’ – around the time he made allegations to the Metropolitan Police. Mr Symonds was criticised by a detective for ‘feeding’ Beech information – but was not named or interviewed in Monday’s BBC2 documentary, The Unbelievable Story of Carl Beech.
The programme did, however, acknowledge that Beech’s allegations were ‘lent credibility’ by coverage on the News at Ten.
Mr Proctor said: ‘The roles of Mr Watson and the BBC were completely glossed over. The programme lacked critical analysis, judgement and gravitas and was a cover up of the BBC’s own role. It was a missed opportunity, and I think a deliberately missed opportunity by the BBC, because they were in the frame for giving Beech substantial airtime. There was no explanation of why their correspondent showed Beech photographs of children I was supposed to have murdered.’
Beech was eventually jailed for 18 years for fraud and perverting the course of justice, having falsely accused a string of figures including Labour peer Lord Janner and Ted Heath. Lord Janner’s son Daniel said: ‘The whole programme... was a disgrace. There was no apology at all from those who actually encouraged [Beech].’
Mr Heath’s godson Lincoln Seligman added: ‘It didn’t make clear fully that for a long time the BBC supported the whole idea of Beech and the paedophile ring. I don’t think there has ever been a proper apology for that. It did mention Tom Watson but he was much more important in sustaining the whole thing than it made clear.’
In fact, the final cut contained only a passing reference to Mr Watson, whose claims to Parliament in 2012 of a VIP paedophile ring added credibility to Beech’s lies.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘As with all programmes, the filmmakers approached many potential contributors. Not all wished to take part.’ They added that the ‘complex story’ had been ‘extensively covered across the BBC’, including a Panorama special ‘which raised many questions about the role of Mr Watson and the... police’.