How much evidence is there of long term high level UK paedophile ring?

[Lurdan]

New Zealand high court judge named as new chair of child abuse inquiry - Guardian

Justice Lowell Goddard, a New Zealand high court judge, is to be the new head of the official inquiry into child abuse, the home secretary, Theresa May, has announced.

Goddard, who has already conducted one inquiry into the police handling of child abuse in New Zealand, said she was well aware of the scale of the “crucial inquiry” that now faced her.

“The inquiry will be long, challenging and complex,” Goddard said. “The many, many survivors of child sexual abuse, committed over decades, deserve a robust and thorough investigation of the appalling crimes perpetrated on them. It is vitally important that their voices are now being heard.”

Goddard, who will arrive in Britain next week when she will face a confirmation hearing before the Commons home affairs committee, said she was committed to “leading a robust and independent inquiry that will act on these matters without fear or favour and will hold those responsible to account”.

 

[DotCommunist]

Justice Goddard is past Chair of the Independent Police Conduct Authority and now sits in the Wellington High Court. Officially, she has overseen significant change, as the Authority publicly portrayed itself as a transparent investigative and reviewing agency of serious complaints against the Police. The reality is different. Justice Goddard held up and covered up a number of serious complaints. Perhaps this is not surprising given her history.When deputy Solicitor General, Lowell Goddard refused to release evidence that former judge Michael Lance was guilty of throwing a police prosecution of his son Simon’s business partner, claiming it was not in the public interest to do so. The police inspector at the time sought release of the file. Judge Lance later became Goddard’s deputy judge at the IPCA – demonstrating a level of audacity even rare by New Zealand standards. Lance retired in disgrace shortly afterward when it was reported he was keying cars parked in front of his Takapuna apartment. (Lance was prosecuted in a judge alone trial and let off.)

valid source or not: http://www.kiwisfirst.com/judge-file-index/high-court-justice-lowell-goddard/


doesn't appear to be a loon site

 

[DotCommunist]

The IPCA became even a more opaque agency under Justice Goddard, with legal exemptions of disclosure to the Official Information Act and Privacy Act. Much of its work is cloaked by tight secrecy.

so its still establishment, just kiwi establishment.

 

[Lurdan]

If past form is anything to go by 'twitter research' will have 'comprehensively demolished' her reputation some time this afternoon.

 

[butchersapron]

If past form is anything to go by 'twitter research' will have 'comprehensively demolished' her reputation some time this afternoon.

Here's a go: she uses sex abuse investigations to climb the ladder.

 

[bluescreen]

Here's a go: she uses sex abuse investigations to climb the ladder.

Sometimes I wonder if we're being gamed by TBTB

 

[brogdale]

Good riposte from Hencke to Lawson's partisan piece in the ST...

 

[Ming]

Why can't 'proper journalists' do this kind of research? Rhetorical qu...

 

[laptop]

Why can't 'proper journalists' do this kind of research? Rhetorical qu...

Erm, David Hencke is a very proper journalist. His faults are a proper journalist's faults. It's the Guardian's loss he doesn't work there any more, though.

 

[Ming]

Erm, David Hencke is a very proper journalist. His faults are a proper journalist's faults. It's the Guardian's loss he doesn't work there any more, though.

Fair point (hadn't heard of him). I just hope that the fact there's still a really dodgy head of the investigation gets mentioned in the main stream press. I'm very cynical. Maybe it will.

 

[Lurdan]

In a written Commons statement Francis Maude confirms that following the discovery of the file about Hayman a further four 'relevant' files have been found among Cabinet Office papers.

The files were found in a separate Cabinet Office archive of sensitive, historic papers. This archive, colloquially known as the Cabinet Secretaries’ file, was closed in 2007. It is largely uncatalogued and un-registered; a programme to review it has been underway since last year but remains in progress. Officials assure me that the available titles have now been searched and more detailed searches are ongoing. My officials will work with the Inquiry to ensure it has the assurance it requires that all papers held by the Cabinet Office have been fully examined and that relevant papers are correctly identified and disclosed.

One of the files had been already been marked for destruction

pending further checks by the Cabinet Office and The National Archives. The Cabinet Office already has in place a process for reviewing its files scheduled for destruction. I am ensuring that relevant departments have a similar process in place.

An assurance that will undoubtedly be interpreted in a variety of ways

 

[5t3IIa]

Goddard is on Today this morning.

 

[brogdale]

Amongst the news around the Goodard appointment there were some other (potentially) very significant announcements from May...

May also confirmed she was to disband the current inquiry panel, which has been repeatedly hit by leaks of confidential information and allegations of bullying. A new statutory inquiry is to be set up with a fresh panel and terms of reference.

The home secretary told MPs that the inquiry was now likely to examine cases earlier than its current 1970 cut-off date, with survivors’ groups pressing for cases as far back as 1945 to be included. However she made clear the investigation would not extend beyond its current geographical remit of England and Wales.

They really don't want to go near Kincora, do they?

 

[Lurdan]

They really don't want to go near Kincora, do they?

Might that not be something to do with the fact that Kincora is already in the remit for the existing inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland ?

 

[brogdale]

Might that not be something to do with the fact that Kincora is already in the remit for the existing inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland ?

Quite. They wouldn't want the Kincora stuff to go anywhere near a statutory enquiry; far better that it is all dealt with in a 'controlled' manner. As Villiers said last October...

"All government departments and agencies who receive a request for information or documents from the Inquiry will co-operate to the utmost of their ability in determining what material they hold that might be relevant," she said.

 

[hot air baboon]

Tom Watson on tomorrow's Sunday Politics

...Brillo mentioned the other week he wanted Watson to come back on to cover this issue...although no detail about if they will or not ( Neil is bound to be highly irritating )...

 

[DaveCinzano]

What's that, 'where are the articles on the alleged MI5 involvement in a coverup over Kincora?'

http://www.theguardian.com/society/...-childrens-home-northwen-ireland-sexual-abuse

 

[elbows]

I wait with interest to see what happens in that court case.

Meanwhile, catching up on recent news items I hadn't had a chance to read in the last week or so:

A would-be Tory MP got the cold shoulder after mentioning that Brittan was a paedophile at a Speakers dinner party. He got the info from a brother owner.

http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5...speaker-s-dinner-leon-brittan-is-a-paedophile

A summing up article by Exaro of where the Fernbridge investigation is at, framed around the death of Brittan by leading with the story that detectives were planning to write to him, and others named on the guest list, to ask them if they ever attended Elm Guest House.

At this point I should let out a mighty cry that its taking them this long to take that step.

http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5495/leon-brittan-faced-met-questions-over-elm-guest-house-visits

Its worth reading that one for the recap and summary of various things, and for some facts they chuck in nearer the end. I won't try to mention them all here, I'll just pick a few.

Three other living conservatives were on the list. The couple of Labour ones are dead.

Exaro reveal that two of the charges faced by Stingemore, before he died, related directly to Elm Guest House. Shit. When he died I probably pointed out that I had no knowledge to suggest the charges he faced related to the link between the childrens home and Elm Guest House, as opposed to the childrens home in isolation. Now, assuming Exaro are not wrong, it sounds like his death really did rob us of an opportunity to learn something about the links and get beyond the info thats existed in the public domain for a long time. So I say shit again.

Oh well. Perhaps we'll still get to find out the detail later. The trial of Tony McSweeney has begun, so although I'm not necessarily expecting to find out the detail during this trial, perhaps there is detail the likes of Exaro will share with us once such a trial is safely over.

 

[elbows]

Well looking at Exaro's tweets from the trial today, it looks like there is going to be plenty about Stingemore in it despite his death. Too many for me to quite properly really.

https://twitter.com/ExaroNews

 

[butchersapron]

There is quite a section in the 2nd pdf where the panel complain about a variety of insurance-related matters, but I have run out of quoting oomph for tonight.

Eight tonight:

Insurance and Child Abuse

With a growing number of compensation claims arising from cases of historic sexual abuse and more recent high profile cases of sexual grooming, Tim Whewell investigates the key role which insurance companies play. In representing the local authorities where scandals occurred, insurers naturally seek to limit liability but are they doing so at a cost to victims? Lawyers say they have to battle to get access to files and other information - causing further distress and delaying help for those damaged by abuse. Some say the fight is getting harder as insurance companies have toughened their approach in recent years. And, with a national inquiry into historic cases of child sex abuse, how much influence did insurance companies have on the way some past investigations were carried out? File on 4 talks to senior local authority insiders who say they were told to alter their approach to abuse investigations to protect the insurers' interests. But was that at the expense of children at risk?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Eight tonight:

Insurance and Child Abuse

Fuck me!

I'm pretty sure this was a matter of public knowledge 20-30 years ago in London and elsewhere with care scandals, that municipal insurers were putting a headlock on local authorities with regard to premiums.

 

[butchersapron]

'Darren' claims Righton murdered a man with down's syndrome after making him dig six 'graves'.

Just passing it on.

 

[Dan U]

'Darren' claims Righton murdered a man with down's syndrome after making him digg six 'graves'.

Just passing it on.

about as bleak as it gets

 

[el-ahrairah]

wow. that's pretty bleak indeed.

 

[brogdale]

about as bleak as it gets

So true, and yet you almost have to steel yourself mentally for the prospect that the truth (when it finally comes out) might yet be worse.

 

[Dan U]

So true, and yet you almost have to steel yourself mentally for the prospect that the truth (when it finally comes out) might yet be worse.

the follow on link on the bottom of that article is pretty detailed. you would assume the police have been and looked for these alleged graves?

 

[elbows]

Unlike other possible murders we have heard about, to kill Andrew would come with much greater additional risk, since presumably the fact he 'worked' at that location would be known. But given the frequent ineptitude of various authorities and institutions, let alone any deliberate cover-up, I cannot take this cynicism too far right now. Not enough ability to cross-check any of these details with any other source or evidence at the moment anyway, so will just have to wait.

 

[elbows]

the follow on link on the bottom of that article is pretty detailed. you would assume the police have been and looked for these alleged graves?

Its hard to say, I don't think we've heard as much as expected about Operation Cayacos (Righton & associated network) in the last year. Exaro raised expectations just like they did with Fernbridge, in this article from a year ago:

http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5...evel-charges-in-paedophile-ring-linked-to-mps

I'll do a recap of what we have heard about Cayacos since then, once I've checked my facts.

In the meantime, this information from Tom Watson in April 2014 is useful for background relating to Righton living at the cottage on Lord Henniker's estate:

Then there’s the matter of child abuser Peter Righton. I’m working with a number of courageous and dedicated former child protection workers who are concerned that Righton, after his conviction, retired to a cottage on the estate of Lord Henniker.

Henniker continued to allow his estate to be used by the Islington Suffolk project that gave holidays to vulnerable children from Islington. Many of the children were in the care system at a time when Islington was thought to have had a major problem with child abuse in its care homes. The retired social workers tell me that even despite the Chief Constable of Suffolk visiting personally to warn Henniker that Righton was a career paedophile, and would put the dozens of young boys who visited Thornham Magna at risk, he ignored this advice and Righton lived there until his death in 2008

(from http://labourlist.org/2014/04/in-praise-of-simon-danczuk/ )

 

[hot air baboon]

....and here...

Peter Righton’s Diaries: Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and Michael Davidson

https://ianpace.wordpress.com/2014/...min-britten-peter-pears-and-michael-davidson/

 

[elbows]

Since you mention Benjamin Britten, this article from late 2012 is an interesting example of a number of phenomenon. I am too tired to talk about them now, but I expect it won't be hard to guess what I'm on about.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/21/britten-boys-obsession-cannot-ignore