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| Lord Janner to be prosecuted over child sex abuse claims | Lord Janner to be prosecuted over child sex abuse claims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The future of Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, will come under intense scrutiny after she confirmed that her previous decision not to charge Greville Janner in connection with child abuse allegations had been overturned. | The future of Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, will come under intense scrutiny after she confirmed that her previous decision not to charge Greville Janner in connection with child abuse allegations had been overturned. |
| The ruling means that Lord Janner will face a trial of the facts, where a jury hears the evidence against an individual considered too ill for a full trial. This is expected to be held into the 22 offences allegedly committed in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. | The ruling means that Lord Janner will face a trial of the facts, where a jury hears the evidence against an individual considered too ill for a full trial. This is expected to be held into the 22 offences allegedly committed in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. |
| The decision follows a review of the case under the CPS victims’ right to review scheme, which allows people to have their case looked at again no matter who in the CPS took the decision not to prosecute. The review, by David Perry QC, concluded that it was in the public interest to bring proceedings before a criminal court. Saunders told the BBC she would not resign. “I don’t think this is a decision I should resign over. It is one I took very carefully and with the victims at the heart of that,” she said. | |
| Saunders defended her previous decisions in a statement, saying it was she who referred the decision to an independent lawyer for review. | Saunders defended her previous decisions in a statement, saying it was she who referred the decision to an independent lawyer for review. |
| “I requested a non-CPS lawyer to advise on this case so that the review would be seen as fully independent. That was the right thing to do, and was a decision I made in the interests of fairness and maintaining public confidence in the criminal justice system,” she said. | |
| “I have always said that in my view this was an extremely difficult and borderline case because of the strong arguments on both sides. However, the review has concluded that this forum, albeit a public one, cannot substitute for the adjudication of the courts. I accept the outcome of the review and will now be bringing this prosecution to allow for that adjudication to happen.” | |
| Some MPs and abuse survivors’ groups have called for Saunders to step down. | Some MPs and abuse survivors’ groups have called for Saunders to step down. |
| A statement from the Crown Prosecution Service said the case against Janner would begin at a hearing on 7 August. | A statement from the Crown Prosecution Service said the case against Janner would begin at a hearing on 7 August. |
| “The director of public prosecutions (DPP) Alison Saunders will now bring criminal proceedings against Greville Janner for child sex offences. This follows a review of the case under the recently introduced CPS victims’ right to review scheme, which allows victims to have their cases looked at again, no matter who in the CPS made the original decision not to prosecute.” | “The director of public prosecutions (DPP) Alison Saunders will now bring criminal proceedings against Greville Janner for child sex offences. This follows a review of the case under the recently introduced CPS victims’ right to review scheme, which allows victims to have their cases looked at again, no matter who in the CPS made the original decision not to prosecute.” |
| It will be the first time that allegations against Janner – which have been the subject of three failed police investigations – will be aired in a courtroom. | |
| The 86-year-old peer’s family strongly denies claims he used his power as an MP for Leicester to abuse vulnerable young boys at a local children’s home. | The 86-year-old peer’s family strongly denies claims he used his power as an MP for Leicester to abuse vulnerable young boys at a local children’s home. |
| Saunders said in April it was not in the public interest to charge Janner because he had dementia, which meant he was unfit to enter a plea. Her decision was challenged by alleged victims in the right to review process. It is believed to be one of the first times that alleged victims have overturned a DPP’s decision. The climbdown by the Crown Prosecution Service follows a review by Perry, a Treasury counsel. | Saunders said in April it was not in the public interest to charge Janner because he had dementia, which meant he was unfit to enter a plea. Her decision was challenged by alleged victims in the right to review process. It is believed to be one of the first times that alleged victims have overturned a DPP’s decision. The climbdown by the Crown Prosecution Service follows a review by Perry, a Treasury counsel. |
| But former DPP Lord Macdonald insisted the position taken by Saunders – who acknowledged there was enough evidence to charge Janner – was “perfectly respectable”. | But former DPP Lord Macdonald insisted the position taken by Saunders – who acknowledged there was enough evidence to charge Janner – was “perfectly respectable”. |
| He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I do think that Alison Saunders’ position was a perfectly respectable, perfectly defensible position. Many eminent lawyers have agreed with her and said she was right.” | He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I do think that Alison Saunders’ position was a perfectly respectable, perfectly defensible position. Many eminent lawyers have agreed with her and said she was right.” |
| Macdonald said he agreed with Perry’s assessment, but the result showed the review system was effective. | Macdonald said he agreed with Perry’s assessment, but the result showed the review system was effective. |
| “I think it is a very good thing that decisions can be open to review in this way,” he said. “It was courageous of the DPP to have this case put through that system and I think the system has proved that in this case it worked well.” | “I think it is a very good thing that decisions can be open to review in this way,” he said. “It was courageous of the DPP to have this case put through that system and I think the system has proved that in this case it worked well.” |
| Asked whether he believed Saunders should stay in her job, the peer said: “I do, yes. I think she is a good DPP, I think she is a good lawyer, a good manager, I think she retains the confidence of her service. I know there are some sections of the media that have a bit of a bee in their bonnet about her, but … this is a very difficult job. I think she is a woman of complete integrity, and I don’t think she should resign.” | Asked whether he believed Saunders should stay in her job, the peer said: “I do, yes. I think she is a good DPP, I think she is a good lawyer, a good manager, I think she retains the confidence of her service. I know there are some sections of the media that have a bit of a bee in their bonnet about her, but … this is a very difficult job. I think she is a woman of complete integrity, and I don’t think she should resign.” |
| Simon Danczuk, the Labour MP who first named Cyril Smith as a paedophile in parliament, told BBC News that Saunders should gstep down. | |
| “Alison Saunders has brought the criminal justice system into disrepute, and I don’t say that lightly. This follows on from a number of poor decisions by Alison Saunders, in one particular case, in relation to FGM (female genital mutilation), but also in relation to another decision around journalists. | |
| “In regard to Lord Janner, her initial decision, [there were] real concerns there. The timing was all wrong, it took her a long time to make the decision. She then announced the decision during purdah, when parliament was not sitting, even though there was a lot of public interest in this. | “In regard to Lord Janner, her initial decision, [there were] real concerns there. The timing was all wrong, it took her a long time to make the decision. She then announced the decision during purdah, when parliament was not sitting, even though there was a lot of public interest in this. |
| “But, most of all, the issue that it was just a cold decision; it did not take into account the alleged victims in this case. There was a lot of public interest in this, and she failed to accept that,” he said. Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, questioned Saunders’ initial decision. “Serious questions need to be asked about Alison Saunders’ judgment in this case, especially given that the CPS had previously acknowledged that the facts of the case passed its evidential test,” she said. | |
| “It’s vital that survivors of child abuse know that the criminal justice system serves them, and that establishment figures are properly investigated.” Liz Dux, the solicitor who represents some of the alleged victims, said: “This is a vindication of our efforts to challenge the DPP’s original decision not to charge Janner, which was clearly not in the interest of justice. Our clients have waited long enough for their very serious allegations to be brought before a court. They have felt deeply frustrated by the criminal justice system.” |