Asked by Lord Lexden To ask Her Majesty’s Government what
assessment they have made of the lessons to be learned from recent
police investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse in the
past. The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of
Trafford) (Con) My Lords, the Government have done more than
any other to tackle child...Request free
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Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have
made of the lessons to be learned from recent police
investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse in
the past.
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of
Trafford) (Con)
My Lords, the Government have done more than any other to
tackle child sex abuse, declaring it a national threat and
investing millions of pounds to enable officers to actively
seek out and bring offenders to justice. Investigations are
operational matters for the police and must be free of
political involvement. It is also the responsibility of the
College of Policing to set the standards for policing.
-
(Con)
Can action be taken by means of strengthened codes of
practice or other measures to ensure that police forces
throughout our country conduct themselves with absolute
propriety and honour when investigating allegations which,
if mishandled—and some have been—can ruin the lives of
innocent people and besmirch the reputations of the
innocent deceased?
-
My noble friend makes the crucial point that where people
are falsely accused and have their names in the media,
their lives can literally be ruined. Noble Lords may have
seen things in the paper over the weekend. The College of
Policing guidance provides that, where an investigation
identifies a false allegation, it may be appropriate to
support a prosecution for attempting to pervert the course
of justice. Steps should be taken to test the validity of
statements and corroborative accounts and to establish an
accurate picture. The decision to support a prosecution
would be an operational matter for the relevant chief
officer.
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(LD)
My Lords, Sir Richard Henriques did an independent review
of the Metropolitan Police’s conduct in these matters. His
conclusion was that:
“Until anonymity is enforced by statute, it is inevitable
that many accused will lose their anonymity at an early
stage of an investigation”.
Why will the Government not legislate?
-
My Lords, we touched on that extensively on the then
Policing and Crime Bill; the noble Lord was part of that
debate. The police’s decision on whether to name a suspect
is a matter for the chief officer, who must authorise any
such disclosure. Following some of the debate, and ongoing
with the College of Policing’s authorised professional
practice guidance on relationships with the media, the
College of Policing recently undertook a consultation on a
fresh iteration of the guidance. That guidance is clear
that the rationale for naming an arrested person before
they are charged must be authorised by the chief officer,
and that the authorising officer must also consult the
Crown Prosecution Service if considering the release of a
name.
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(Con)
Does my noble friend agree that one of the most disturbing
aspects of the way in which Operation Midland was conducted
is what might be termed the malicious gullibility of the
police, and that that has done a great deal to undermine
public confidence in the Metropolitan Police? I think it
would be appropriate in these circumstances for her to show
a little more indignation and a little less calm in the
face of what has been a very grave injustice.
-
My Lords, I do not disagree that it has been a grave
period. I apologise if I appear too calm but the police
are, rightly, operationally independent of the Government.
It would be a matter for the relevant chief officer to
consider whether to commission any similar review of how
forces’ investigations were conducted.
-
(Lab)
My Lords, while I value the independence of each police
force, will the Government consider asking the inspectorate
to assess the propriety and cost of some of these
investigations?
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My Lords, the Government will leave it up to the
inspectorate to determine the use of funds and whether they
are proportionate; they should be.
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(CB)
My Lords, the noble Baroness recently told me that it was
absolutely right to commission an independent review of
Operation Midland, the operation by the Metropolitan Police
to which reference has already been made. Does she agree
that it would be no less absolutely right to commission an
independent review of Operation Conifer, Wiltshire Police’s
investigation of allegations relating to the late Sir
Edward Heath, given the concerns expressed about the
conduct of that operation?
-
My Lords, I hear those concerns and I recall the comments
that the noble Lord has previously made and written to me,
and to the Home Secretary. I am sorry to reiterate the
point but the police are independently operational of the
Government, so it would not be appropriate for me to
comment on a particular case. We are absolutely clear that,
where allegations are made, they should be thoroughly and
professionally investigated so the facts can be
established.
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(Lab)
My Lords, why are the people who make allegations that turn
out subsequently to be untrue not required to pay back the
compensation they receive from the Criminal Injuries
Compensation Authority, as has indeed happened in the Heath
case?
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My Lords, I think I have gone through the process for what
happens with false allegations. It will be up to the
determining bodies to decide whether compensation is
payable.
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(Con)
Does my noble friend agree that the principle of someone
being innocent until proven guilty dates back to Magna
Carta and must be inviolable for the dead as well as the
living? Surely the evidence must be assessed rigorously,
independently and fully.
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I could not agree more with my noble friend.
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(Lab)
My Lords, will the noble Baroness take on board the fact
that on a recent case to which reference has been made, a
Wiltshire village police station seemed to approach it in a
most amateurish way? The standards of intelligence and
training required for a major question such as this need to
be considered.
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