Former MP’s hell after paedophile ring accusation
Birmingham politician wins libel action over social media ‘campaign of vilification’
AFORMER Birmingham MP has spoken of the “hellish” time he and his family have endured after he was accused of being part of a VIP paedophile ring.
John Hemming, former Member of Parliament for Yardley, has won a libel action and received cash settlements for comments made on social media.
He says that he had feared for the safety of his family after the remarks sparked what he calls a “campaign of vilification”.
The High Court victory is further vindication for the politician who was accused of being among a group of men who abused children on Cannock Chase.
He has never been arrested or charged with any offence relating to the allegation.
In 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge the 58-year-old father-of-five.
A legal battle between the Liberal Democrat and his accuser, Esther Baker, is still ongoing.
But two men who backed her have, following a High Court hearing, accepted that their comments were defamatory.
Graham Wilmer, founder of the Lantern Project, set up to help survivors of abuse, posted four comments on social media between September and October 2017.
He agreed to make a £1,000 donation to Birmingham Children’s Hospital in lieu of damages, and pay £9,028 – almost all Mr Hemming’s costs. He has also apologised.
David Hencke, former head of news at investigative website Exaro, and who now runs his own blog, agreed to pay Victim Support £500 and carry a statement on his website.
The agreement states: “The defendant (Hencke) shall not in future publish anything conveying the meaning (whether expressly, by imputation or innuendo) that the claimant (Mr Hemming) raped Esther Baker.”
It adds: “The defendant agrees not to refer to Esther Baker as a ‘victim’ or ‘survivor’ when the use of such terms in context pre-supposes the truth of her claims against the claimant (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, against others).”
Mr Hemming this week revealed the toll the allegations had taken on his political career and his family.
And he praised the work of Conservative law blogger Sam Smith, who acted as a “McKenzie Friend” – court supporter and adviser – during the case.
“To protect my family, I had to withdraw from standing for election,” Mr Hemming said. “I could not give the time commitment that this needed if I was a candidate.
“The people who have campaigned in support of these false allegations should realise it is an attack on my children, not just me.
“My priority has always been to protect my children, not merely myself.”
The former MP does not criticise the media for publicising the claims. “In many ways, the media has behaved responsibly,” he pointed out. “The mainstream media has, generally, behaved very well.
“They behaved in a responsible manner and did not identify me in the early stages.”
In fact, with fingers pointing at him, it was Mr Hemming who decided to identify himself.
He is, however, critical of politicians who “promoted” those allegations and online comments.
“Interestingly, that process undermines a police investigation,” he said. “If they were serious, those allegations should have been reported to the police, not aired during a televised Sky report from Cannock Chase.
“This has been a pressure on everyone involved, having to watch CCTV at your home to see if an attack may occur. It is a very oppressive situation.
“It is not just the allegations themselves, it is the politicians intent on arming villagers with pitchforks and torches and leading the parade.”
It was in 2017 that Mr Hemming revealed he was the “former MP” questioned by the police over the claim that he sexually abused a girl.
The politician’s hand was forced, he said, because of “hints” appearing on social media.
“It was obvious from the that the allegations were sense,” he stressed to the Post.
Those claims were made by Esther Baker, who waived her right to anonymity.
In a 2015 interview with Sky News, Baker claimed she was sexually abused, from the age of six, by a politician and other senior figures at the Staffordshire beauty spot and a number of nearby homes in the 1980s and 1990s.
Mr Hemming, who lost his Yardley seat to Labour’s Jess Phillips in 2015, spoke out after being informed that the police were taking no action against him.
He was never arrested or charged, but lived in fear of vigilante reprisals because of what he described as an “unjust campaign of vilification”.
After an investigation, Staffordshire Police announced: “There is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction of any suspect in this case”.
Mr Hemming now hopes his hellish three years will make police revisit the way they treat such claims.
“A lot of people have been supportive,” he said, “but, at the end of the day, it is the police who have to take firm action. That behaviour should not be encouraged.”
It was obvious from the start that the allegations were nonsense
John Hemming
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