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Scotland Yard assigns team to oversee all historical child sex abuse investigations Scotland Yard assigns team to oversee all historical child sex abuse investigations
(about 3 hours later)
Scotland Yard has brought all its ongoing historical child sex abuse investigations together under the control of a single team of detectives, it said today. The senior detective who described claims of a Westminster paedophile ring as “credible and true” has been relieved of some of his responsibilities after the Metropolitan police merged its ongoing historical child sex abuse investigations together under the control of a single team of detectives.
Operation Midland, which is investigating allegations of murder by a so-called Westminster paedophile ring in the 1970s and 1980s, and Operation Fairbank, which is looking at allegations of sexual abuse involving senior politicians, are among those being overseen by the team led by Det Supt Ang Scott from the Met’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse (SOECA) unit. Operation Midland, which is investigating allegations of murder by a so-called Westminster paedophile ring in the 1970s and 1980s, and Operation Fairbank, which is looking at allegations of sexual abuse involving senior politicians, are among those which will be overseen by Detective Superintendent Ang Scott, from the Met’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse (SOECA) unit.
A spokesman said Scott would oversee officers from SOECA, the homicide and major crime command and the Met’s directorate of professional standards, under the overall command of deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse. DS Kenny McDonald, who was head of Operation Midland, will continue in homicide command, a Met spokesman said, but overall control of day-to-day operations will move to Scott. McDonald was criticised after claiming at a press conference last year that the testimony of “Nick”, the main witness to Operation Midland, was “credible and true”. The Met declined to say whether McDonald will maintain any role in historical child sex abuse inquiries.
“Nick” had claimed to have witnessed two murders and been sexually abused by the former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, as well as observing and being attacked by a paedophile ring that included the late prime minister Edward Heath, the ex-home secretary Leon Brittan and former heads of MI5 and MI6 and leading members of the armed forces.
These events were alleged to have taken place at locations around central London including the Carlton Club and the Dolphin Square apartments in Pimlico.
Operation Midland arose out of Operation Fairbank, an investigation into child sex abuse that was set up following claims by Labour MP Tom Watson that the police should examine claims of a “powerful paedophile network linked to parliament and No 10”.
The credibility of the police inquiries has been dealt a severe blow in recent weeks.
Proctor held a press conference in August in which he spelt out the claims against him. He suggested he should either be tried for murder so he could “ridicule these preposterous allegations in open court” or his accuser should be prosecuted for wasting police time.
At that press conference the former MP called for the resignation of McDonald as well as the Met’s commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, and deputy assistant commissioner, Steve Rodhouse.
“It’s not for detective superintendent McDonald to say evidence against me is ‘credible and true’ even before any police officer spoke to me. It’s for the courts,” he said.
Proctor’s press conference left Nick distressed, according to the website Exaro, which claims to be in close contact with the witness while the police investigation continues.
Then, on 6 October, the BBC broadcast an edition of the Panorama programme, which found no evidence to support Nick’s claims that his friend, a young boy, was murdered by being run over by a car on a south London street.
The Met has acknowledged that the language used by McDonald had suggested the force had pre-empted the outcome of the investigation.
Proctor on Monday night welcomed the decision to take day-to-day responsibility for Operation Midland away from McDonald. “I hope that this is the first of many changes in the Met,” he said.
The changes in command come in the same month that Scotland Yard was forced to apologise to the widow of Leon Brittan for not letting the former home secretary know he had been cleared of an allegation of rape before his death from cancer.
Hogan-Howe will appear before the home affairs select committee on Wednesday. Labour’s deputy leader Watson is also due to appear.
A Met spokesman said Scott would oversee officers from SOECA, the homicide and major crime command and the Met’s directorate of professional standards, under the overall command of Rodhouse.
The spokesman added: “Whilst we are not prepared to give a running commentary on any ongoing live investigation, as Operations Midland and Fairbank have progressed officers identified a number of people and locations that were common to both inquiries.The spokesman added: “Whilst we are not prepared to give a running commentary on any ongoing live investigation, as Operations Midland and Fairbank have progressed officers identified a number of people and locations that were common to both inquiries.
“It is therefore operationally important to have the same officer in charge of these inquiries. This team will also be responsible for the preparatory work required to support the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.”“It is therefore operationally important to have the same officer in charge of these inquiries. This team will also be responsible for the preparatory work required to support the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.”
Scotland Yard announced last month it was setting up a specific team in response to the growing demands of a number of historical abuse inquiries. It is expected to comprise about 90 staff, with some in place already, Scotland Yard said at the time.Scotland Yard announced last month it was setting up a specific team in response to the growing demands of a number of historical abuse inquiries. It is expected to comprise about 90 staff, with some in place already, Scotland Yard said at the time.