Fury over Boris ‘insult to victims’
BORIS Johnson was yesterday accused of insulting child abuse victims after saying police funding has been ‘spaffed up the wall’ on investigations into alleged crimes committed decades ago.
The former foreign secretary yesterday described probes into historic paedophilia cases as ‘all this malarkey’ and said police chiefs should spend their resources on putting more officers back on the street.
However, an NSPCC spokesman said: ‘Bringing child abuse perpetrators to justice is not a “malarkey” and such crass language is an affront to victims who have suffered in silence for decades.’
The senior Tory said he was aware of £60million being ‘ spaffed up the wall on some investigation into historic child abuse and all this kind of thing’.
The £60million figure quoted by Mr Johnson is understood to refer to the estimated amount spent so far on the ongoing historic child sex abuse inquiry in London, which is actually funded by the Home Office.
His comments, as well as use of the word ‘spaff’ – a sexual slang term – were condemned last night by Labour MPs.
Party chairman Ian Lavery said: ‘These disgusting comments are an insult to every survivor of child sex abuse. If Boris Johnson has even a little bit of decency he will now apologise to the victims and families of those who have suffered.’
Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, said: ‘Boris Johnson is an utter disgrace. I’ve met many survivors of child abuse. Their testimony is devastating. They need and deserve justice, which can only be delivered if the police are equipped with the resources to investigate.’
A spokesman for the Save Association, founded by male victims of childhood sexual abuse, said: ‘These investigations have been successful in incarcerating some of society’s most abominable monsters.’
When mayor of London, Mr Johnson had a direct mandate over policing when Scotland Yard launched a doomed £2.5million investigation into an alleged VIP sex-ring in Westminster.
Mr Johnson made the comments after being asked on LBC radio whether police cuts had contributed to a surge in crime. He said: ‘I think an awful lot of the money now goes into these historic offences and all this malarkey. What on earth is that going to do to protect the public? People want to see officers out on the streets.’