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| Westminster paedophile claims: Harvey Proctor accuses police of witch-hunt | Westminster paedophile claims: Harvey Proctor accuses police of witch-hunt |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A former Conservative MP has accused police of a witch-hunt after disclosing that he has been questioned over the alleged murder of three boys supposedly linked to an “elite Westminster sex ring”. | |
| Harvey Proctor said the Metropolitan police’s Operation Midland inquiry team, set up to examine claims that boys were systematically abused by an establishment paedophile ring, should be wound up and its head be put in charge of parking offences, at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. | Harvey Proctor said the Metropolitan police’s Operation Midland inquiry team, set up to examine claims that boys were systematically abused by an establishment paedophile ring, should be wound up and its head be put in charge of parking offences, at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. |
| Proctor added that he had been accused of being part of a child sex ring, along with the late prime minister Edward Heath, ex-home secretary Leon Brittan, and former heads of MI5 and MI6. The allegations were based on the testimony of an anonymous witness Scotland Yard had previously described as being “credible and true”. | Proctor added that he had been accused of being part of a child sex ring, along with the late prime minister Edward Heath, ex-home secretary Leon Brittan, and former heads of MI5 and MI6. The allegations were based on the testimony of an anonymous witness Scotland Yard had previously described as being “credible and true”. |
| Related: Police child abuse inquiries: Operation Yewtree to Operation Midland | Related: Police child abuse inquiries: Operation Yewtree to Operation Midland |
| Proctor said he was “completely innocent” of accusations of paedophilia as he went public on the two rounds of questioning he had faced from Operation Midland detectives. | Proctor said he was “completely innocent” of accusations of paedophilia as he went public on the two rounds of questioning he had faced from Operation Midland detectives. |
| He said he should either be charged with murder or his accuser should be stripped of his anonymity and charged with perverting the course of justice. | He said he should either be charged with murder or his accuser should be stripped of his anonymity and charged with perverting the course of justice. |
| His statement is the first detailed response from anyone investigated by Operation Midland in connection with claims of years of child sex abuse by a paedophile ring made up of men from politics, the military and law enforcement agencies. | His statement is the first detailed response from anyone investigated by Operation Midland in connection with claims of years of child sex abuse by a paedophile ring made up of men from politics, the military and law enforcement agencies. |
| The accuser – known only as Nick – has told police that the former MP was part of a group of men who abused him over a decade from 1975, according to Proctor’s statement. He claimed that Proctor was directly responsible for the murders of two boys and implicated in the death of a third. | The accuser – known only as Nick – has told police that the former MP was part of a group of men who abused him over a decade from 1975, according to Proctor’s statement. He claimed that Proctor was directly responsible for the murders of two boys and implicated in the death of a third. |
| During one alleged sexual assault, he is said to have claimed, Proctor was only persuaded not to cut off “Nick’s” genitals with a pen-knife by the intervention of Heath, who was said by the witness to have been present during the sex attack at a large townhouse in London. | During one alleged sexual assault, he is said to have claimed, Proctor was only persuaded not to cut off “Nick’s” genitals with a pen-knife by the intervention of Heath, who was said by the witness to have been present during the sex attack at a large townhouse in London. |
| Related: Ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor denies any role in Westminster abuse ring | Related: Ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor denies any role in Westminster abuse ring |
| Proctor, 68, said that he and Heath detested each other because of their political differences, despite a shared party allegiance. He said that it was unbelievable that he would have been invited to the former prime minister’s home to take part in a sex attack. | Proctor, 68, said that he and Heath detested each other because of their political differences, despite a shared party allegiance. He said that it was unbelievable that he would have been invited to the former prime minister’s home to take part in a sex attack. |
| “It is so far-fetched to be unbelievable,” he said. “It is unbelievable because it is not true. My situation has transformed from Kafkaesque bewilderment to black farce incredulity.” | “It is so far-fetched to be unbelievable,” he said. “It is unbelievable because it is not true. My situation has transformed from Kafkaesque bewilderment to black farce incredulity.” |
| In a document Proctor says was sent to him by police before his interviews, “Nick” accused him of stripping and strapping a child to a table, before stabbing him all over his body during a 40-minute attack. | |
| Proctor’s statement said he and another man are accused of raping a boy, before the former MP strangled him until the boy’s body went limp. He was accused of punching and kicking another boy to death. | Proctor’s statement said he and another man are accused of raping a boy, before the former MP strangled him until the boy’s body went limp. He was accused of punching and kicking another boy to death. |
| The MP claims he was also accused by “Nick” of being involved in attacks at Dolphin Square, the residential block close to parliament that is popular with MPs, and at the Carlton Club. | The MP claims he was also accused by “Nick” of being involved in attacks at Dolphin Square, the residential block close to parliament that is popular with MPs, and at the Carlton Club. |
| Proctor has been questioned twice. In March, detectives raided a series of properties linked to suspects, including his home on the Belvoir castle estate in the east Midlands. | Proctor has been questioned twice. In March, detectives raided a series of properties linked to suspects, including his home on the Belvoir castle estate in the east Midlands. |
| Related: Claims that boys were murdered by VIP sex ring are credible and true - police | Related: Claims that boys were murdered by VIP sex ring are credible and true - police |
| “I denied all and each of the allegations in turn [to police] and in detail and categorised them as false and untrue and, in whole, an heinous calumny,” said Proctor’s statement. “They amount to just about the worst allegations anyone can make against another person including, as they do, multiple murder of children, their torture, grievous bodily harm, rape and sexual child abuse.” | “I denied all and each of the allegations in turn [to police] and in detail and categorised them as false and untrue and, in whole, an heinous calumny,” said Proctor’s statement. “They amount to just about the worst allegations anyone can make against another person including, as they do, multiple murder of children, their torture, grievous bodily harm, rape and sexual child abuse.” |
| He added: “I am an homosexual. I am not a murderer. I am not a paedophile or pederast.” | He added: “I am an homosexual. I am not a murderer. I am not a paedophile or pederast.” |
| Proctor claimed that Brittan had been driven to his death by police action. “In summary, the paranoid police have pursued an homosexual witch-hunt on this issue, egged on by media, Labour MPs and a ragbag of internet fantasists.” | Proctor claimed that Brittan had been driven to his death by police action. “In summary, the paranoid police have pursued an homosexual witch-hunt on this issue, egged on by media, Labour MPs and a ragbag of internet fantasists.” |
| He said that Labour MPs, led by Tom Watson – the favourite to become the next deputy leader of the party – had acted disgracefully over their pursuit of establishment figures allegedly linked to a child sex ring, and challenged them to sue him for saying so. | He said that Labour MPs, led by Tom Watson – the favourite to become the next deputy leader of the party – had acted disgracefully over their pursuit of establishment figures allegedly linked to a child sex ring, and challenged them to sue him for saying so. |
| Watson, who has campaigned for justice for child sex abuse victims, rejected Proctor’s claims his efforts were motivated by party politics and said he had not used parliamentary privilege to name any suspect. | |
| He said in a statement: “’It is not for me to judge the innocence or guilt of Harvey Proctor. That is for a jury to do, if the police inquiry yields sufficient evidence to bring a case to court. | |
| “I don’t regard allegations of child abuse as a party political matter and I’ve worked with members of all political parties to help bring about the Goddard Inquiry into child sexual abuse. I have never used parliamentary privilege to name anyone accused of child abuse.” | |
| Proctor – a Conservative MP in Essex from 1979 to 1987 – left the Commons after pleading guilty to acts of gross indecency with a man he said he wrongly believed was over 21. The age of consent has since been lowered. | Proctor – a Conservative MP in Essex from 1979 to 1987 – left the Commons after pleading guilty to acts of gross indecency with a man he said he wrongly believed was over 21. The age of consent has since been lowered. |