Child sexual abuse inquiry:Butler- Sloss quits after Exaro reveals Havers Kincora inquiry connection

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Baroness Butler-Sloss Not her brother's keeper

Baroness Butler-Sloss Not her brother’s keeper

Baroness Butler Sloss made a dignified exit as chair of the new  overarching child sexual abuse inquiry today because of a damaging conflict of interest caused by her dead brother, the former attorney general, Michael Havers.

Her decision was announced after it was publicly revealed on the Exaro website that her brother ,Lord Havers effectively skewed the terms of reference of a  inquiry under the late  judge William Hughes to concentrate only  on staff abusing boys and not  possible prominent visitors to the Kincora boys home who are alleged to have abused them.

As Zac Goldsmith MP said on the BBC’s World at One: |”These kind of things are really big and it’s inevitable that a proper, all-encompassing inquiry would find its way all the way to Kincora. It would look at who set the terms of reference. It would look at who was excluded, who was protected by the terms of reference. And that would lead to Havers himself, who was responsible for that.”

Those who study publicly available documents can see both from the terms of the inquiry and an intriguing Cabinet minute already published on this website  which hoped this inquiry would end  “rumour and unfounded accusations”. about sexual abuse at the home.

The judge himself made pointed remarks:.

He wrote: “The conduct of the police, or elected representatives, or clergymen, or military intelligence or any other persons who may have been in receipt of allegations, information or rumours relating to Kincora or any other home, was not under scrutiny in this inquiry.”

What was missing was finding a source who could connect the setting of the terms of reference directly to the then attorney general, Sir Michael Havers.

Both me and my ex Guardian colleague  David Pallister were able to do precisely that over the weekend. A top level  source whose name we agreed to protect said : “Havers briefed him, and it was Havers who gave the terms of reference to him.”

From entirely separate sources I have been aware that Theresa May  has known that this could surface over the weekend and that it could cause immense problems for Baroness Butler-Sloss if she started to probe into the Kincora inquiry and the current inquiry going on in Northern ireland about historic child sexual abuse. But no action was taken.

To put in context Baroness Butler-Sloss is not to blame for this. She is literally in this case not her brother’s keeper. Nor is Theresa May who I have on good authority i\s committed to tackling this problem and was always more sympathetic to an overarching inquiry than David Cameron.

From yet another source the indecent rush to appoint someone to head the inquiry lies at the door of Downing street which shocked by the  slur of child abuse stories making headlines on Sunday made a rushed decision to set up an inquiry after ignoring the views of 145 MPs.

The real lesson from  this latest incompetent and botched up initiative is that  people need to reflect on who they want and take into account the views of victims and  child experts before rushing to fix a problem. The lesson is stay calm and sort it out properly. Otherwise it is just another episode for Yes, Prime Minister.

 

 

Magnificent Seven MPs champion survivors voices on new panel

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Zac Goldsmith MP

Zac Goldsmith MP

The seven  MPs who demanded an overarching inquiry into child sexual abuse have written to Theresa May, the home secretary again – this time to say survivors must be appointed to the new independent panel.

My  report on  the Exaro website reveals that the seven have asked for a meeting to discuss who will sit on the panel and what the terms of reference should be.

The letter says: “If Lady Butler Sloss is to Chair the Inquiry, and given the many questions that have surrounded her appointment, it is essential that the group as a whole is absolutely robust, with a wide range of trusted representatives, including survivors.”

The good news is that all the MPs are agreed that survivor involvement is a must and a robust panel is essential. Zac Goldsmith said:”The strength and credibility of the inquiry will depend on the terms of reference and the panel of people, who must be absolutely bullet-proof.

The seven Mps are: Zac Goldsmith, Simon Danczuk ,Tessa Munt,Tom Watson,Tim Loughton,         Caroline Lucas and John Hemming.

It is excellent that the seven are emphasising the role for survivors and tough people on the inquiry. It is exactly what is needed. The signs are that Theresa May is willing to meet them possibly early this week as she is not expected to be affected by the reshuffle.

Mark Reckless MP:My letter to PM on whips and child abuse inquiry

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This is a fascinating letter in the context of the child abuse inquiry and the growing scandal surrounding the sexual behaviour of MPs in Westminster and what information is known about them that is held by government and opposition whips.. The example he cites had nothing to do with sexual abuse but involved the ” cash for questions ” scandal that led to the resignation of Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith. There is an irony here giving I am investigating child sexual abuse in that I broke the story about David Willetts’ letter in the Guardian at the time and he had to resign. I did not know that it led to a decision to shred everything after the story was published. This letter makes compelling reading in the present context and raises many pertinent questions which is why I have reblogged this article.

Mark Reckless's avatarMark Reckless | UKIP

PM1PM2

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Have the security services succeeded in censoring the MPs report on the murder of Lee Rigby?

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Lee Rigby; Pic courtesy of AP Press

Lee Rigby;
Pic courtesy of AP Press

Very shortly before Parliament rises for the recess the newly strengthened Intelligence and Security Committee will produce their report on the circumstances that led to the atrocious murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

This report is very significant because it is the first to be completed where the MPs have had the powers to compel MI5 and MI6 to release all their information on the case.

Therefore it is not surprising as I have reported in Exaro  that the security services have hit back and  made robust demands for  redactions in what the MPs might have to say about their conduct.

We should be able to see how successful they have been if the report acknowledges where there have been redactions.

The soldier, a drummer in the Royal Fusiliers, was hacked to death in May last year in Woolwich, south-east London as he returned to his barracks. His killers, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, are understood to have been known to MI5 for several years.

Adebolajo’s relatives say that MI5 had even approached him in 2011 to become an agent after he was deported from Kenya. He is said to have rejected the approach.

I understand the row between the intelligence officials and parliamentarians is understood to centre on UK’s intelligence operations in Kenya. The officials say that the report contains too much detail of these operations.

What alarms me is that security services appear to be involved in a spin operation in the  mainstream media to cover up their failings by demanding new extra powers and even emergency legislation to allow them to read anyone’s website on the back of any informed criticism of their actions

Let me make it clear to any bored  security operative who might be reading this blog that I have not seen or read a word of the MPs report. But I am aware that there is a fierce battle going on- and while I respect the role of the security services in fighting terrorism to keep us safe – I don’t want to see a blanket removal of our civil liberties or our right to privacy.

 

Child Sex Abuse Inquiry: An all party victory for MPs and abuse victims

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No one would have thought a week ago that Theresa May, the home secretary, would have announced today an overarching inquiry into child sexual abuse.

The odds were stacked against it for the last two years as David Cameron kept insisting that police investigations had to go first before there could be any inquiry.

Today it all changed. and it was discovered that it was perfectly possible to have both an all embracing independent inquiry and complete the current police investigations at the same time.

The reason why this changed is a combination of persistent journalism, determined abuse victims and their campaigners and a group of very, very determined MPs who put  pressure on the Prime Minister and the Home secretary to act.

The biggest victors today are the child abuse victims – whose stories have been ignored, their suffering played down, and their search for justice thwarted for decades.

Now they will have – even if it takes a couple of years to complete – the promise of a tough, vigilant independent panel that will explore all avenues from  the failure to detect these scandals to how  victims can get proper help to cope with their  damaged lives. If it uses its power to abstract information from the security services and special branch we may well get to the bottom of why prominent people were protected and were safe for decades to practice their vile pursuits..

Rumours suggest that Theresa May  wants to appoint a powerful woman to run the inquiry  which would  send a powerful signal to male dominated Whitehall and Parliament that it means business.

Credit must be paid to hundreds of Twitter followers of Exaro and myself who raised questions with MPs – a powerful use of  new media to change minds and bring attention directly to the people involved./ Without Twitter it would have been much slower and more difficult to achieve the goal.

Tribute must be paid to some tireless MP campaigners – to Zac Goldsmith for the idea of all party approach, to Tom Watson for his gutsy raising of difficult questions and championing abuse victims, to Simon Danczuk for his persistence in pursuing the paedophile Sir Cyril Smith and to the heroic former children’s minister, Tim Loughton, for his organising skills and determination to seek justice and a new system of child protection that could change the climate in this country. Tessa Munt’s skills in honing the letter to the home secretary was crucial in pushing through the case.

For once I would say  the good side of Parliament has triumphed in representing the views of an outraged public who are still reeling from the exposure of loved household celebrities as paedophiles and wanted to see things changed.

Also I hope when journalism has suffered grievous damage from the phone hacking scandal  it has shown that there are investigative journalists – all my colleagues at Exaro – who are prepared to spend  time, energy and fortitude to try and expose accurately and carefully a national scandal and then campaign to get something done. I wish more journalists would do it.

 

 

 

Police forced by DPP to interview Leon Brittan as Lords back MPs for child sex abuse inquiry

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Leon Brittan: Pic courtesy of the Guardia\n.

Leon Brittan: Pic courtesy of the Guardian.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, forced the Metropolitan Police Service to review how it had investigated the allegation against Leon (now Lord) Brittan that he raped a 19-year-old student in the summer of 1967 before he became an MP.

The full story  is on the Exaro website after my colleague Mark Conrad talked to the alleged victim called ” Jane”.

Saunders demanded to know from the Met why it had closed the case without even questioning him.

As a result, detectives interviewed Brittan under caution by appointment in the first half of June at his solicitors’ offices. Brittan issued a statement today saying the allegations are without foundation.

The latest disclosures come as the Home Secretary is to make a statement to Parliament about setting up an inquiry. Details will become clear exactly what inquiry it will be this afternoon.

Meanwhile as Exaro also reports that 11 peers have joined the 145 MPs  led by Zac Goldsmith calling for an overarching Hillsborough style inquiry They include Former High Court judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and the Bishop of Durham .

All this marks an extraordinary difference over one week when ministers wanted to brush the issue under the carpet or make sure nothing would happen on this issue for years to come.

I suspect the thought that MPs still discredited over the expenses disclosures were now going to be tarred with covering up alleged paedophiles with VIP connections was too much for the government. They would not want it to become a burning issue in the run up to an election when they will  be seeking people’s votes.

 

Justice Saunders Sentencing Remarks at the Hacking Trial

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What the judge said about Coulson and the other defendants in full.Andy Coulson got 18 months in jail.

peterjukes's avatarThe Criminal Media Nexus

R –v- Coulson and others.

Sentencing Remarks

Parliament has decided that it is a criminal offence to access the voicemails of other people without their consent or an order of the court. Parliament has decided that the offence applies to members of the press in the same way as it does to all other citizens. This law provides the same protection to all citizens including those who, for one reason or another, are in the public eye. Parliament set the maximum sentence for the offence of intercepting communications at 2 years imprisonment and Parliament has decided that the same maximum sentence applies to an offence of conspiracy which can cover, as it does in this case, a very large number of individual offences.

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Zac Goldsmith presses Theresa May for meeting as she says ” not yet” to an overarching inquiry

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Theresa May has finally officially replied to a request from now 139 MPs for a Hillsborough style overarching inquiry into historic child sex abuse.

In a more emollient letter to the original seven MPs  who called for the inquiry she is indicating that she will give serious consideration to an inquiry – but not until all the current police investigations are completed.

The full story and texts of the letters between Theresa May and Zac Goldsmith are on the Exaro website today.

Zac Goldsmith has responded by writing a letter to the home secretary.

“The next step is for us to meet you, along with other interested members of Parliament, to discuss the issue more fully.

“It would make sense for this meeting to happen sooner rather than later, and we would therefore appreciate it if you could let us have a date as soon as possible.”

It is also revealed that Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, has gone further than David Cameron and rejected any inquiry into historic child sex abuse saying such a move is  ” a waste of money”.

The letter from Theresa May is encouraging in that she feels she has to  fully respond to a demand from 138 MPs of all parties and is obviously anxious to say that she will thoroughly examine the case after police investigations are completed. But Zac Goldsmith is right to press her much further. His call for an urgent meeting so she can hear the full facts from possibly as many as 138 MPs is exactly right.

As for Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, he obviously believes that  finding justice for child sex abuse victims  is less important than cutting taxes. Frankly this is unsurprising from him – the man who slashed compensation payments for innocent victims of criminals, doesn’t believe prisoners should have any right to read books,and would quite happily see people stripped of legal representation in the courts if they can’t afford it. He belongs to the wing of  what Theresa May once called ” the nasty party.”.

Elm Guest House : Crown Prosecution Service handling leads to MP’s complaint

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A second MP, Simon Danczuk,,has complained to the Director of Public Prosecutions over the handling of  Met’s Operation Fernbridge investigation into Elm Guest House.

This time the complaint is against the Crown Prosecution Service who have told a victim who says he was sexually abused there he is the only case where this has happened.

The official reply from the CPS is patently untrue since the Met Police themselves have admitted to Channel Four’s Dispatches that Sir Cyril Smith visited the house and was involved with rent boys there. And the person who says he was assaulted there was not involved with Cyril Smith.

The full story by my colleague Mark Conrad is on the Exaro website. It comes after Tom Watson complained to the DPP about the way the Met Police handled a rape claim from a woman against a former Tory minister which was also investigated by Fernbridge.

All this suggest that part of the  Fernbridge investigation is not going well. And it strengthens the case for an overarching inquiry into historic child sex abuse investigations now demanded by 135 MPs of all parties.

Phone Hacking Trial: Neville Thurlbeck: NOTW phone hacking sanctioned by Stuart Kuttner and three other executives – Martin Hickman

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Further problems for Andy Coulson prior to his sentencing as Neville Thurbeck’s mitigation plea says phone hacking was sanctioned by him and Stuart Kuttner, the managing editor, who was acquitted by the jury last week.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

Neville ThurlbeckPhone hacking at the News of the World was sanctioned by managing editor Stuart Kuttner and three other top executives at Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper group, one of its most senior journalists told a court yesterday.

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