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| Greville Janner child sex abuse case dropped | Greville Janner child sex abuse case dropped |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The alleged sexual abuse victims of Greville Janner have said they are devastated that court proceedings against the peer have been dropped following his death. | The alleged sexual abuse victims of Greville Janner have said they are devastated that court proceedings against the peer have been dropped following his death. |
| The case against the former Labour MP, who 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. | The case against the former Labour MP, who 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. |
| After his death last month, prosecutors suggested the trial could go ahead posthumously. But on Friday the prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the trial judge, Mr Justice Openshaw, that the crown would not go ahead with the proceedings planned for the Old Bailey in April. | |
| One alleged victim told the Guardian that the decision would increase suspicion of “an establishment cover-up from day one” that stopped Janner from appearing before the courts. | One alleged victim told the Guardian that the decision would increase suspicion of “an establishment cover-up from day one” that stopped Janner from appearing before the courts. |
| The 54-year-old man, who has claimed he was abused repeatedly in a children’s home by Janner over several years, said: “I am really disappointed. He was already deemed unfit to stand trial and wasn’t going to be in court anyway, so his death shouldn’t have made a difference. | The 54-year-old man, who has claimed he was abused repeatedly in a children’s home by Janner over several years, said: “I am really disappointed. He was already deemed unfit to stand trial and wasn’t going to be in court anyway, so his death shouldn’t have made a difference. |
| “The fact that he kicked the bucket should not have mattered. For once they should have thought about the victims and let us go to court and let the court decide if we were telling the truth.” | “The fact that he kicked the bucket should not have mattered. For once they should have thought about the victims and let us go to court and let the court decide if we were telling the truth.” |
| The alleged victim’s case mirrors others who have said that they were based in children’s homes in Leicestershire when Janner, the then MP for Leicester West, was introduced to them. | The alleged victim’s case mirrors others who have said that they were based in children’s homes in Leicestershire when Janner, the then MP for Leicester West, was introduced to them. |
| The man’s account and those of other alleged victims were first given to the police in 1991, and were raised again with detectives in 2005. After a further inquiry in 2014, Leicestershire police said there was enough evidence to pursue a legal case against Janner. | The man’s account and those of other alleged victims were first given to the police in 1991, and were raised again with detectives in 2005. After a further inquiry in 2014, Leicestershire police said there was enough evidence to pursue a legal case against Janner. |
| The alleged victim, a labourer, said the decision would leave many feeling abandoned by the justice system. | The alleged victim, a labourer, said the decision would leave many feeling abandoned by the justice system. |
| “I was going to go to court and tell them what happened,” he said. “I thought I was finally going to get some closure. Think what us, the victims, have been through. We were abused by a powerful man. When we plucked up courage to speak to the police, they didn’t believe us; decades later, we finally get near to a court, and somehow, he gets away with it, and cheats the court because he dies.” | “I was going to go to court and tell them what happened,” he said. “I thought I was finally going to get some closure. Think what us, the victims, have been through. We were abused by a powerful man. When we plucked up courage to speak to the police, they didn’t believe us; decades later, we finally get near to a court, and somehow, he gets away with it, and cheats the court because he dies.” |
| The BBC, which has interviewed dozens of men and women who lived in children’s homes in Leicestershire in the 70s and 80s, reported on Friday that 12 former residents had claimed they were abused by Janner. | The BBC, which has interviewed dozens of men and women who lived in children’s homes in Leicestershire in the 70s and 80s, reported on Friday that 12 former residents had claimed they were abused by Janner. |
| The broadcaster spoke to council officials, social workers, police officers and journalists involved in investigating the case of Frank Beck, a notorious care home manager who was eventually convicted of child abuse. | The broadcaster spoke to council officials, social workers, police officers and journalists involved in investigating the case of Frank Beck, a notorious care home manager who was eventually convicted of child abuse. |
| The BBC reported that lawyers were now representing at least 20 men and one woman, including the 12 residents of children’s homes, who say the former MP abused them, and that police had said they had information from 25 alleged victims. | The BBC reported that lawyers were now representing at least 20 men and one woman, including the 12 residents of children’s homes, who say the former MP abused them, and that police had said they had information from 25 alleged victims. |
| Liz Dux, of Slater and Gordon, who represents a number of Janner’s alleged victims, said the claims against the former Labour MP were of the most “serious nature”. | Liz Dux, of Slater and Gordon, who represents a number of Janner’s alleged victims, said the claims against the former Labour MP were of the most “serious nature”. |
| “My clients are absolutely devastated that they won’t give their evidence in a criminal court,” she said. “They totally 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, and that’s something they can’t get over. | “My clients are absolutely devastated that they won’t give their evidence in a criminal court,” she said. “They totally 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, and that’s something they can’t get over. |
| “The next stage is the only opportunity for them to have their evidence heard, by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by Judge Goddard. We’re hoping there will be an announcement by the Lord Goddard inquiry shortly. | “The next stage is the only opportunity for them to have their evidence heard, by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by Judge Goddard. We’re hoping there will be an announcement by the Lord Goddard inquiry shortly. |
| “I hope they prioritise the Lord Janner case and that they will hear my client in person and make findings of facts so there are judicial findings made and then made public.” | “I hope they prioritise the Lord Janner case and that they will hear my client in person and make findings of facts so there are judicial findings made and then made public.” |
| She added: “What is very disappointing is there was a painstaking inquiry by Leicestershire police since 2013 with a lot of other witnesses’ evidence, who weren’t victims but who were there to corroborate what victims were alleging. That evidence won’t be heard either.” | She added: “What is very disappointing is there was a painstaking inquiry by Leicestershire police since 2013 with a lot of other witnesses’ evidence, who weren’t victims but who were there to corroborate what victims were alleging. That evidence won’t be heard either.” |
| At the time of Janner’s death on 19 December, the prosecution had an application pending to introduce a second tranche of charges, which covered additional victims. | At the time of Janner’s death on 19 December, the prosecution had an application pending to introduce a second tranche of charges, which covered additional victims. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | Following such a trial, outcomes are limited to a hospital order, a supervision order or an order for the defendant’s absolute discharge. |