Paedophiles ‘filmed attacks at town hall’
Politicians ‘traded children for abuse’ in council scandal
PROMINENT politicians and businessmen in Lambeth are accused of trading children for sexual abuse and filming some of the attacks in the town hall, an inquiry has heard.
Lawyers for victims of the Lambeth child sexual abuse scandal say paedophiles “infiltrated” the borough’s children’s homes in the Sixties and senior figures including councillors and police officers “turned a blind eye”.
Barrister Iain O’Donnell told the inquiry yesterday victims believed Lambeth was “corrupt to its core” and accused the council of being “nothing less than grossly negligent”.
He said: “You will hear allegations of the deliberate withholding of documentary evidence from police and inquiries, of other interference into investigations of complaints of sexual abuse from children in Lambeth’s care.”
He added that “of all the investigations heard by this inquiry this is the one where senior authority figures appear to have colluded to ensure that paedophiles were not investigated. As a result of which children continued to be sexually abused rather than protected.”
Stephen Simblet, representing a group of victims, said claims will be made that children were filmed while being abused, and were used as currency. “There are allegations that council contractors had corrupt relationships with council officers, of secret societies, secret paedophile rings, the production and distribution of filmed sexual assaults on Lambeth children in care, with some ... being filmed in council buildings, even it being said the town hall,” he said.
“These were said to involve prominent politicians, councillors, businessmen and police officers. Sometimes trafficking children from Lambeth care homes and they were also used in blackmail to secure contracts and influence.”
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, headed by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, will hear how care home boss John Carroll was a convicted paedophile who was allowed to continue working with children and was later jailed for 10 years for a litany of sexual abuse.
Aswini Weereratne, representing ex-Lambeth councillor Anna Tapsell, said claims will be heard that a Scotland Yard detective was sacked while investigating Carroll, which some believe part of a cover-up. Samantha Leek, for the Met, said the officer had made “unfounded allegations”. The inquiry continues.
There are allegations council contractors had corrupt relationships with officers ... of secret paedophile rings Stephen Simblet representing victims