Investigation: Home Secretary Theresa May has announced a new investigation into child abuse in North Wales in the 70s and 80s
A single wide-ranging judicial inquiry into ‘absolutely horrific’
evidence of systematic child abuse by figures of authority over several decades
looked increasingly likely last night. There were growing cross-party calls for
an over-arching investigation as the number of separate probes into allegations
of paedophilia at the BBC, care homes and in Whitehall reached double figures.
Home Secretary Theresa May told MPs that the National Crime Agency (NCA)
is to mount an investigation into alleged abuse in North Wales in the 1970s and
1980s amid claims that a senior Tory of the day was among the perpetrators. But
she suggested that a single, wider probe was being considered by the Government
once initial police inquiries are concluded. ‘I think what is absolutely
horrific, frankly, is the extent to which this child abuse has been taking
place over the years and across our communities over the years,’ the Home
Secretary said.
David Cameron, speaking on a trip to the Middle East, also opened the
door to a broader judicial inquiry into the tide of historic child sex abuse
allegations, which began with revelations about Jimmy Savile’s paedophile
activities at the BBC. ‘Let’s find out as quickly as possible whether we have a
problem here. If we have a problem here then we have to take further steps,’
the Prime Minister said. ‘I don’t rule out further inquiries, further
investigations, further ways of learning lessons because clearly we’ve
discovered some appalling things in recent days, particularly on the Jimmy
Savile front.’ On top of the Savile scandal – which has dragged in the NHS and
the police – there are increasingly wild allegations of an establishment
paedophile ring involving members of the Thatcher government.
Quick move: Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured meeting students at a Saudi Arabian university yesterday, said he wants a swift investigation into whether the rumours are true
NCA director general Keith Bristow will review the original police
handling of complaints of a paedophile ring abusing children in care homes in
North Wales, and examine the latest claims by an alleged victim. Separately,
High Court judge Mrs Justice Julia Wendy Macur is to lead a review of the
Waterhouse Inquiry, an inquiry set up by the then Welsh Secretary William
Hague, into allegations of child abuse at North Wales care homes. ‘The
Government is treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness,’ Mrs May
said. ‘Child abuse is a hateful,
abhorrent and disgusting crime and we must not allow these allegations to go
unanswered.’
Former Conservative children’s minister Tim Loughton said the Prime
Minister had acted ‘commendably swiftly’ but there were now so many inquiries
into child abuse, there was a serious danger of not being able to see ‘the wood
for the trees’. He called for one,
over-arching investigation, adding: ‘This is just getting going, this is the
tip of the iceberg, this is going to get bigger and it’s going to go into other
areas. ‘We’re getting an inquiry a week. There are now victims out there whose
voices are only beginning to be heard. I
think we have just got to have one over-arching, robust inquiry led by a
high-level figure.’
Labour’s deputy chairman Tom Watson, who last month claimed there was
‘clear intelligence’ suggesting a historic paedophile ring may be linked to
Downing Street, criticised the Government’s response. He said: ‘The lesson of
Hillsborough and hacking is that a narrowed-down investigation is the basic
building block of a cover-up. ‘To limit this inquiry to North Wales and Savile
would, in my view, be a dereliction of the Home Secretary’s duty.’
In a direct attack on Mrs May, which drew cries of protest from the Conservative
benches, he asked: ‘Does she sincerely want to start making amends or can she
live with being what she has just announced: the next stage of a cover-up.’ The
child protection system in England is failing vulnerable teenagers and is in
urgent need of review, MPs warn today. The Commons Education Committee said
that while local authorities had a duty to safeguard all children up to the age
of 18, too often the needs of older youngsters were not met. It said its
inquiry uncovered a ‘worrying picture’ of the protection and support available
to children aged 14 to 18.
In charge: National Crime Agency boss Keith Bristow, pictured being decorated with the Queen's Police Medal in 2008, is to review historic allegations of child abuse at North Wales care homes
Source: Daily Mail UK
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