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Greville Janner child sex abuse case dropped Greville Janner child sex abuse case dropped
(35 minutes later)
The case against the former Labour MP Greville Janner for alleged child sex abuse has been formally dropped in light of the 87-year-old’s death. The alleged sexual abuse victims of Greville Janner have said they are devastated that court proceedings against the elderly peer have been dropped following his death.
Legal proceedings were left in limbo last month after the elderly peer died. The case against the former Labour MP – he was charged with 22 sexual offences dating back to the 1960s against nine boys and men – was set to be heard in a trial of the facts, from which Lord Janner would be absent because of his dementia. His death last month, however, threw the proceedingsinto disarray, with prosecutors suggesting the trial could go ahead posthumously.
The prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told trial judge Mr Justice Openshaw on Friday that the crown would not go ahead with the planned trial of facts at the Old Bailey in April. But the prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the trial judge Mr Justice Openshaw on Friday that the crown would not go ahead with the proceedings planned for the Old Bailey in April.
Lord Janner was charged with 22 sexual offences dating back to the 1960s against nine alleged victims, who were mostly under 16 at the time. He had already been declared unfit to stand trial because of his “deteriorating and irreversible” dementia. Liz Dux, of Slater and Gordon, said: “My clients are obviously devastated that they are no longer able to give their evidence in a criminal court.
More details soon … “They understand the reasons why, but that doesn’t make up for the real travesty – that many gave their statements decades ago and have been denied justice through a failure to prosecute earlier when Janner was alive and well.
“They sincerely hope that the Goddard inquiry will prioritise this matter, will allow them to give their evidence in person and will make findings of fact.
“It is vital that all the evidence that has painstakingly been gathered over the years is carefully considered by the independent inquiry and that findings of fact are made public.”
The director of public prosecutions, Alison Saunders, initially decided that Janner should not be charged because of his ill health. But that was overturned by an independent review last year.
Medical assessments of Janner’s dementia showed he was unable to mount a defence, but in the trial of the facts a jury would have been asked to decide whether he had done what he was accused of, rather than determine his guilt.
Following such a trial, outcomes are limited to a hospital order, a supervision order, or an order for the defendant’s absolute discharge.