JANNER’S SON IN PLEDGE TO NAME ‘NICKS’
THE son of Lord Janner has vowed to expose in civil court those who claimed his father sexually abused them.
Daniel Janner QC was speaking in the wake of Sir Richard Henriques’ findings that the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into an alleged murderous VIP paedophile ring was littered with mistakes.
On top of 43 identified failings, his report claimed officers involved with Operation Midland misled a judge in order to get search warrants.
During the 16-month investigation Scotland Yard looked into claims against politicians including former Tory Home Secretary Leon Brittan, ex-Chief of Defence Staff Lord Bramall, former Tory MP Harvey Proctor and Cardiffborn peer Lord Janner, who suffered from dementia.
“My father was alleged to have committed the most terrible crimes by ‘Nick’,” Mr Janner said.
“We have several ‘Nicks’ in this case jumping on the bandwagon. That is what my father’s case is about.”
Nick is the name that has been given to the suspected fantasist behind the complaints. He is now to be investigated for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
“The principal thing that was wrong was the police had a blanket approach to what were plainly fantasy allegations,” Mr Janner said. “They had this mindset of believing the complainant, however absurd.”
The Henriques inquiry called for an end to the policy of believing alleged victims.
It said the principal cause of mistakes in Operation Midland was the decision to search several premises. That was described as “a grave error of judgement”. It found these searches were carried out “when there were no reasonable grounds to believe an indictable offence had been committed”.
Mr Janner agreed, saying 20 officers spent two days turning over his father’s property after raiding it at 7am. He said they left finding nothing.
“My father was totally bewildered,” Mr Janner said. “He went around shaking each of the officer’s hands to say thank you for coming around.”
Lord Janner’s health meant a decision was taken not to prosecute him.
That was overturned and it was then decided the Labour peer would face a trial of the facts.
That would have seen a jury deciding whether the incidents had taken place before reaching a guilty or not guilty verdict.
But following the death of the 87-year-old peer last December – who had been charged with 22 sexual offences dating back to the 1960s against nine alleged victims, who were mostly under 16 at the time – the case was brought to an end earlier this year.
“What will happen in the future is that I intend to expose the other complainants, the other Nicks out there, for what they are, which I will do and I can do,” Mr Janner said. “The original Nick needs to be prosecuted.
“I have actually reported those complainants who have issued letters before action since he died.
“Since he has died we have had people writing in seeking money, letters before action, from people who do not feature in the criminal action whatsoever, allegations he has raped men and women and are seeking compensation.
“I have reported them to the police because these people need to be prosecuted.”
Lord Janner’s name was not among those apologised to by Met chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.
After the inquiry’s findings were made public he said it was a matter of “professional and personal dismay” that the VIPs were pursued by the police for so long.
He apologised to Lord Bramall, Leon Brittan’s widow Lady Brittan, and to Harvey Proctor.
Mr Janner said “in a sense” he was “not too concerned about” the lack of an apology.
“I don’t know why he did not get one, but I’m not so fussed about that,” he said. “I’m more concerned about proving the other Nicks are false.”
Some of them have waived their anonymity.
“I am going to have to deal with them and the others and I’ll do that in civil proceedings,” Mr Janner said.
“My next move is to see what the Jay inquiry is going to do.”
Professor Alexis Jay will lead the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, of which the allegations against Lord Janner form a part. already