WHITEWASH THICKER THAN TWO COATS OF PAINT
Never for a moment did I imagine such a whitewash. When I called in this newspaper two months ago for full publication of the Henriques report into Operation Midland – that disastrous investigation by the Metropolitan police into a non-existent VIP paedophile ring – I was certain that action must follow. It did not seem remotely possible to me that, if the report by former High Court judge Sir richard Henriques was made public without any redactions, the police complaints body could continue to ignore its findings. Last Friday the first three chapters of the judge’s independent review were finally released by the Met. They dealt with Operation Midland and Operation vincente, which targeted high-profile individuals including former Home Secretary Leon Brittan, ex-Army chief Field Marshal Lord Bramall, and EXMP Harvey Proctor. All had been accused of horrendous crimes including rape, paedophilia and sadistic abuse, after police accepted the twisted sexual fantasies of one man – Carl Beech aka Nick – as evidence, with virtually no scrutiny. Yet the statement released yesterday by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog is a shocking exercise in exoneration – a whitewash big enough to cover the whole of the exterior of New Scotland Yard in two thick coats. The statement finds no evidence of misconduct by police officers, conceding only that there were ‘gaps in processes and systems’. This is breathtaking, given how furiously Sir richard excoriated the police for their behaviour. In an article in yesterday’s Mail, he wrote: ‘I find it difficult to conceive that no misconduct or criminality was involved by at least one officer.’
THE IOPC’s reaction shows complete disregard for the lives of the individuals falsely accused and for their families. Lord Brittan died not knowing whether he would ever be exonerated. His widow and family have borne the brunt of the misguided investigation, which was needlessly cruel.
In Harvey Proctor’s case, a man’s life has been all but destroyed. Lord Bramall, a D-Day hero, was 91 when he was questioned over allegations so inconsistent, contradictory and improbable that I am bewildered any experienced police officer could have taken them seriously.
There isn’t one of us that would not want the police to take seriously allegations of paedophilia or worse. But when the pursuit of justice turns the innocent under investigation into the victims, we have turned the justice system on its head.
That all this can happen without any sign that senior police are willing to learn from their mistakes, is horrifying. The IOPC statement says only that they accept procedures could be tightened up: we all want the police to follow good procedure, but that doesn’t begin to address the issue.
If that is the best the IOPC can do, then I am afraid it is not fit for purpose. The organisation was brought into being by the Police and Crime Act 2017, to replace the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which I set up as Home Secretary, 15 years ago.
essentially, this arrival of the IOPC appeared to be a rebadging exercise, a piece of branding which enables an administration to ring the changes. Its response to Sir richard’s report can be counted as its first major challenge – and it has failed pitifully.
The IOPC has proved itself a poor replacement. It is clearly not set up to provide the independent oversight that is badly needed, and it is apparently staffed by people who lack the experience to understand even the basics of the criminal justice system.
How can they hold the police to account unless they understand how the force operates? According to Sir richard, he was not contacted by the watchdog for 20 months after his initial recommendation for an independent inquiry. When the ‘ lead investigator’ from the IOPC did get in touch, she admitted that she had no legal training, and did not fully understand how police went about applying for search warrants (a crucial issue in Operation Midland).
Her attempts to take a statement from the former judge failed. In the end, he had to offer to write his own and submit it by email.
Of the five officers who were superficially investigated by the IOPC and then cleared of all misconduct, four were never questioned and the one who was questioned was promoted while under investigation and retired before she was officially cleared. What a farce. No wonder the Met sees no reason to put its house in order.
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, cannot afford to ignore this travesty. If I were still sitting at her desk, my response would be threefold. Firstly, I would demand an immediate shakeup of the IOPC. We need a watchdog that can do its job, one staffed by people who know what they are meant to be doing.
Secondly, I’d go back to the home affairs select committee that recommended the rebadging of the IPCC and ask what they intended. There must have been good intentions – these should be followed through.
Thirdly, I would urge Dame Cressida Dick, the Met commissioner, to take a grip on the situation. She needs to be seen to be leading, not taking a back seat. Yesterday she made a statement saying she was ‘deeply sorry for the mistakes’. She needs to go further. I have great respect for her and the Met, but I fear the capital’s police force risks losing public trust unless it takes much firmer action on the Operation Midland debacle.