Janner’s family in plea to delay inquiry into child abuse claims
THE family of the late Labour peer Lord Janner are demanding the public inquiry into child abuse postpones its plan to examine allegations against him.
Lord Janner, 87, who died in December, is alleged to have abused youngsters over a period spanning more than 30 years dating back to the 1950s.
The allegations against him are due to be examined at hearings of the public inquiry next March.
But his son has said that, as civil proceedings by some of his alleged victims have been started, the claims should go through the courts – where his father’s accusers can be cross-examined – before they feature in the inquiry.
Daniel Janner QC said he had prepared a submission for the Home Affairs Select Committee, which is due to question Home Secretary Amber Rudd next month.
He added: “We very much hope that the committee will question carefully why the inquiry is planning to make findings of fact in relation to my late father when he is dead, when he cannot answer back, when he has never been convicted of any offence and is entirely innocent.
“Moreover we are denied the right to cross-examine what we know to be false allegations and we say this process actually discredits the important work of the inquiry.”
Mr Janner said he and his two sisters intended to use their inheritance to clear the family name.
Former Leicester MP Lord Janner was not prosecuted despite three police investigations, all started in the 1990s.
A fresh attempt to prosecute him was halted by his death but the ongoing independent national inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales has identified the Janner case as one of 13 separate strands it intends to investigate fully.