‘No police misconduct in child sex abuse cases’

NO SUFFICIENT evidence of police misconduct has been found in almost all of the operations looking into alleged child sex abuse linked to Westminster, an inquiry has heard.

The police watchdog said its probe into allegations of police misconduct in 37 investigations had uncovered no sufficient evidence in 36 of them, while another investigation could not go ahead because the relevant police officer had died.

The Westminster strand of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is examining whether there was a culture in Westminster of trying to shield people of public prominence from proper investigation.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report into investigations identified as having a link to Westminster issues states: “In 36 of the 37 operations considered here, no sufficient evidence has been obtained to support allegations of police misconduct.”

It adds: “In one operation, issues regarding an officer attending a police cell containing evidence were identified, however the relevant officer is now deceased and this matter cannot be reasonably progressed any further.”

There were 24 “persons of public prominence” named in the allegations, 16 of whom related to Westminster, the IOPC said. The late MPs Cyril Smith and Leon Brittan, ex-Home Secretary, were the two “most frequently” mentioned. The inquiry continues.