VIP sex ring inquiry is just ‘peddling lies’ claim critics
But lawyers say hearing will look closely at police conduct in Westminster paedophile investigations
THE national child abuse inquiry re-aired discredited accusations about Lord Brittan on the first morning of its investigation into the alleged Westminster paedophile ring yesterday, prompting claims it was “peddling lies”.
Disproved allegations that the former home secretary was photographed naked with children in a gay brothel were read out as public hearings into claims of sexual depravity among the political elite began.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse opened the most highprofile strand of its work by insisting there were “outstanding questions of public concern” about the way in which complaints against influential figures were handled.
Controversy has swirled around the decision to push ahead with an investigation into the supposed VIP paedophile network after a string of victim accounts were exposed as fantasy.
Yesterday, the inquiry’s top lawyer said no efforts would be made to “investigate” the accuracy of accusations against MPS and other so-called VIPS, instead focusing on “the conduct of institutions” such as the police, prosecutors and political parties.
However, Brian Altman QC then took the inquiry through decades of accusations against the political establishment, including the false claims against Lord Brittan.
He also revealed evidence would be heard about how police investigated reports of abuse at the Elm Guest House in south London, including suggestions they “suppressed” the involvement of the politician.
A source close to Lady Brittan, his widow, last night expressed their disgust that lies first circulated by a convicted fraudster were being raked over again. The source said: “This is just so awful. How can they do this? They are just peddling lies.”
Det Chief Insp Paul Settle, who led the investigation into the Elm Guest House, echoed the concerns and said the inquiry was behaving “despicably”.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “These are claims that have been investigated and found to be without merit. They were found to be so ludicrous they didn’t warrant going to Lord Brittan when he was alive to make him aware of them. They were rumours and everybody we spoke to dismissed them as hogwash.”
Before the hearing, Daniel Janner QC, the son of the late Labour peer Lord Janner – who is to be investigated separately by the inquiry – condemned the inquiry as a “witch hunt against dead politicians”.
He added that Tom Watson, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, had “whipped up” the public appetite for an inquiry by telling Parliament in 2012 there was a “powerful paedophile network” linked to Downing Street.
Harvey Proctor, the former MP who faced ill-founded allegations of misconduct, also attended the hearing in person.
Mr Altman said: “The clear purpose of the inquiry hearing evidence about such allegations is not to examine their truth, but to investigate what institutions knew about allegations of this nature and how they responded.”
The inquiry began examining alleged crimes against children by a supposed shadowy cabal of Westminster
‘This is so awful. How can they do this? They are just peddling lies’
abusers after several accusers went public in 2012. Carl Beech, known as “Nick”, was one of the most prominent to speak out and now faces trial for allegedly perverting the course of justice by lying to police, which he denies.
Richard Scorer, who represents seven alleged victims of the late Liberal MP Cyril Smith, urged the inquiry to proceed with caution in separating “fact from fiction”.