existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I think the winners would need to be moderately competent lawyers, all the same...the winners would be lawyers like (but not) diamond
I think the winners would need to be moderately competent lawyers, all the same...the winners would be lawyers like (but not) diamond
quite so.I think the winners would need to be moderately competent lawyers, all the same...
And not much given to flights of self-regarding histrionics.quite so.
'Grave doubts' over key witnesses's claims in VIP sex abuse inquiryScotland Yard is under pressure to shelve its VIP paedophile murder inquiry after it emerged detectives had ‘grave doubts’ about the testimony of the key witness.
Officers have not found a ‘shred of credible evidence’ to back up claims that a string of senior Establishment figures were responsible for murdering three boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
...
There is also mounting concern among officers about the role of an ‘investigative’ news website called Exaro, which has close links to campaigning Labour MP Tom Watson.
if he's charged i look forward to his defence statement, or the king's speech as it's known in legal circlesI see Jonathan Kings been nicked.
Thank fuck Baroness Butler-Sloss is not chairing the CSA. These two stories appear to show a remarkable lack of judgement by someone so eminent in the legal field.
Butler-Sloss Is Character Witness For Alleged Paedophile.
Paedophile Philip Chard Found Guilty (Despite Butler-Sloss Supporting Him.)
On Monday the judge Erik Salomonsen jailed Chard for seven years for the rape and one year concurrently for the sexual activity charge.
He told Chard that “he could not resist a very attractive 13-year-old girl” and “became increasingly attracted to her”. The judge did not refer to Butler-Sloss during the sentencing but said Chard was a man “who has merits”.
allegations of corruption in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and one allegation detailing corruption in Essex Police. All relate to child sex offences dating from the 1970s to the 2000s.
The investigations are to be conducted by the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) and Essex's Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) but will be overseen, and have the terms of the investigation set, by the IPCC. The majority of the investigations stem from allegations made by retired MPS officers.
This is in addition to the 17 investigations announced earlier this year. All relate to allegations about:
- Suppressing evidence;
- Hindering or halting investigations;
- Covering up the offences because of the involvement of members of parliament and police officers
Once upon a time resistance to investigating allegations of wrongdoing was so strong that if an investigation was announced one could be reasonably certain that there were strong grounds for it. Today that's no longer as true.1) Allegation that a prosecution against a government official who was in possession of indecent images of children was not pursued following instruction from senior officers and lawyers.
2) Allegation that an investigation into a paedophile ring in south-west London in the 1970s was shut down prematurely on instruction of senior or high-ranking officers.
3) Allegation that evidence, relating to child abuse at a youth club in 1980s and 1990s that involved politicians and council officers, went missing from a London police station.
4) Allegation that an MP was only charged with specimen charges for child sex offences and not more numerous or serious offences.
5) Allegation that paperwork and evidence relating to child sex offences involving an MP disappeared and the MP was released without charge
6) Allegation of a failure to investigate child sex offences involving an MP due to instructions from senior or high-ranking officers.
7) Allegations about attempts by Special Branch in the 1970s to interfere in an investigation that would have revealed an MP to be involved in child sex offences.
8) Allegations an investigation into a west London paedophile ring in the 1980s had evidence removed and was threatened with closure by senior officer if it uncovered evidence against VIPs.
9) Allegation that an MP was arrested and then released without charge on the instruction of senior officers following an investigation into a south London paedophile ring in the 1980s. Also alleges officers were threatened with breaking the Official Secrets Act if they spoke of the events.
10) Allegation that an investigation into child sex abuse in central London in the 1980s was halted when it became apparent that an MP was involved.
11) Allegation that an investigation into child sex offences committed by an MP was taken over by officers from Special Branch and then not progressed.
12) Allegation that an officer serving with the MPS was involved in a paedophile ring in north London and that evidence was covered up by Special Branch.
13) Allegation that intelligence was provided by a witness, during a separate investigation, indicating an MP was involved in child sex abuse and that this was not investigated. (Essex)
No idea. Speculation at the Needleblog that it might be Peter Morrison.Do we know which MP number 4 relates to, given they were charged with something at the time?
It has now emerged that Scotland Yard launched a review of Midland in April. The review concluded at the end of last month and the findings are now being considered.
A Met spokesman said: “An internal review of Operation Midland was commissioned on 8 April 2015. It is routine for investigations of this nature to be reviewed in this way. The review was carried out, with the full report submitted on 25 August. The product of this review is under consideration.
“We are not prepared to comment on the review in any detail at this time as Midland is an ongoing investigation.”
Private Eye has a pretty damning article on Exaro in its current issue.
Interesting timing if that's correct. The Mail story claiming that Operation Midland was in trouble appeared on the 5th September. And was followed by last Sunday's Sunday Times story (paywalled) about "Darren", which statedMeanwhile I note this info in a Guardian article thats initial focus was on the latest IPCC stuff.
It has now emerged that Scotland Yard launched a review of Midland in April. The review concluded at the end of last month and the findings are now being considered.
which was picked up by the Mail and the Telegraph.In addition, a source has told The Sunday Times that Operation Midland — a separate investigation by the Metropolitan police into the alleged Westminster ring — is “going nowhere” because detectives can find no evidence to corroborate the stories of witnesses.
The BBC understands the controversial Operation Midland - which is investigating claims of child abuse by establishment figures - will continue as a "standalone operation" because it is also examining allegations of child killings.
Scotland Yard has finished a routine review of the Midland investigation which began in April, partly to consider further lines of inquiry. The results have not yet been made public.
The Met has made no detailed comment about Operation Midland for months. There have been reports it will be scaled back because it has not uncovered substantial evidence, despite a 10-month investigation.
In a statement on Friday the Met said the investigation involved 27 officers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, who would remain there.
The Guardians version."As part of their duties they undertake on-call responsibilities where they deal with calls for initial management of new cases. The team are taking no new investigations and their main focus is on Midland," the statement said.
Exaro deserves a good kicking. It withheld the details of Nick's account because it knew the allegations sounded absurd. It hides behind the Met's foolish statement that Nick's account was "credible and true" when questioned about its coverage (how responsible). It attempts to make a story out of every 'development' such as 'Proctor's former lover speaks to Midland' - the implication being that he was revealing all but he could have told the police that nothing happened.It's part of the increasingly hostile scrutiny Exaro have received since Proctor's press conference, and in particular the publication of the text of the Operation Midland disclosure document setting out the matters he was to be questioned about.
I'd say that it doesn't. If Midland is going nowhere, it makes sense to quarantine it for reputational and confidence reasons, sparing the new unit from taking a hit before it has even established itself.The fact that unlike criminal investigations relating to Yewtree and Fairbank, Midland is specifically not being absorbed into this new unit might indicate that the Met are confident about it. Or then again it might not.
An ex-cop said :
My source was in what I named the Blackened Name Club, officers who'd fallen foul of the Metropolitan Police anti-corruption squad in contentious circumstances which didn't guarantee convictions in court.
He contrasted their treatment - phoned-tapped like terrorists, family lives scrutinised, liberty in jeopardy - with how official blind eyes were turned when paedophile politicians, churchmen and lawyers were allegedly violating children.
Full text of the Sun story fwiw
A MOUNTAIN of files on historic VIP child sex abuse cases is missing, The Sun can reveal.
Documents known as “Red Dockets” from highly sensitive cases have mysteriously vanished from police archives, well-informed sources say.
The revelations, said to feature the names of politicians, showbiz stars and a senior cop, come as a Metropolitan Police inquiry into claims that establishment figures murdered three boys teeters on the verge of collapse.
Files which have disappeared include ones from the infamous 1980s Operation Circus inquiry.
It was shut down after undercover cops allegedly photographed rent boys from London’s Piccadilly Circus with VIPs.
Sources told The Sun it was axed on the orders of then Director of Public Prosecutions, the late Sir Thomas Hetherington.
A DPP official is said to have visited West End Central police station in early 1985 and ordered the inquiry terminated.
An ex-cop said: “A report went to the DPP which identified under-age male prostitutes, their pimps and clients.
“All that information has now gone. The only conclusion is that the DPP authorised the plug to be pulled on it.”
Names of MPs, showbiz stars, industrialists and a Scotland Yard commander cropped up in the Circus inquiry.
Sources told The Sun that “red docket” files — named after their covers’ colour — were placed in a Special Branch registry but have now vanished.
Analysis of audit trails is being carried out on child abuse case files booked out by officers.
Special Branch is under investigation over allegations of nobbling inquiries which would have exposed figures including MP Cyril Smith.
And so-called X4 files containing unsubstantiated information on paedos, said to be “a goldmine”, were shredded.
The Met’s Operation Midland investigation, into allegations MPs were involved in the murders of three boys, was launched after claims by a young man.
The witness, known as Nick, claims to have seen murders at London’s Dolphin Square and to have been abused abroad by foreign VIPs.
Deciphering this it appears to be saying that a search of archives to find evidence supporting the claims of former policemen that Operations Circus and Orchid were shut down to cover up VIP abuse and that files from the time would contain lots of VIP names has found nothing. And in other shock news...
I wonder if this is the same ex-policeman referred to in this Huffington Post piece last year about these claims, written by former Daily Mail journalist Geoffrey Seed, who was able to use it to plug his recently published conspiracy thriller with a VIP paedophile cover-up sub-plot.
The way in which ordinary hardworking cops just trying to earn an honest bung were forced out of the Met through political correctness and the need to cover up VIP corruption and abuse, and are now reduced to selling stories to semi-retired journalists is truly a scandal.
The way in which ordinary hardworking cops just trying to earn an honest bung were forced out of the Met through political correctness and the need to cover up VIP corruption and abuse, and are now reduced to selling stories to semi-retired journalists is truly a scandal.
A senior source at Scotland Yard, which has been involved in the investigation into Darren’s claims, said: “We are between a rock and a hard place. We don’t want people to ever lose faith in coming to the police. We believe our victims and we support vulnerable victims who need our support.
“But this has been months of difficulties. We cannot prove categorically that he is lying but there is no evidence for his claims.”
The source added: “Darren needs proper help. That is absolutely fundamental.”
Police are furious that Darren’s claims were given publicity by the Exaro website before they could be investigated fully by officers. They believe that the glare of publicity has put Darren under more pressure.
“This is not Darren’s fault. This is a problem for the people at Exaro,” said the source.
Reputations of senior Conservative politicians and even war heroes have been shredded in the process.
Mr Watson, elected Labour’s deputy leader two weeks ago, has won huge plaudits for standing up in the House of Commons in October 2012 and alleging that a high level paedophile network had existed with protection from senior politicians in Parliament and even in Downing St.
Mr Watson said that Righton was a key figure in the network of paedophiles and was subsequently contacted by Darren and copied into emails that Darren sent to police officers.
It's almost like the newspaper in question is trying to bait the police into investigating it for jigsaw identification of a complainant.There was also a disgraceful attack piece in another paper yesterday about "Nick" which comes close to identifying him. Don't think it should be linked to.
There was also a disgraceful attack piece in another paper yesterday about "Nick" which comes close to identifying him. Don't think it should be linked to.
Like his campaign against phone hacking in the Murdoch press, [Tom Watson's] war on paedophiles not only propelled him back into the limelight, it also helped his party.
As a google search on the phrase "nonce finder general" will demonstrate Watson has been under attack over this issue for several years, and has been attacked far more than either Danczuk or Mann. I'd imagine one reason is that he has been a little more cautious in what he has said and arguably somewhat more effective in raising the issue. (I don't say that because I'm any kind of fan of the man). His elevation to deputy leader undoubtedly provides additional motivation but it is not the only reason for singling him out.Ah, they are worried about Labour, not just routinely sniping...
Its actual purpose is a smear on Watson.
I see Jonathan Kings been nicked.
Watson has been under attack over this issue for several years
There is criticism of some media behaviourMore significantly, only a jury can decide on the truth of allegations after hearing all the evidence. We should always reflect that in our language and we acknowledge that describing the allegations as ‘credible and true’ suggested we were pre-empting the outcome of the investigation. We were not. We always retain an open mind as we have demonstrated by conducting a thorough investigation.
which is clearly intended as a more general warning.In recent weeks, one journalist reporting on Operation Midland has shown the purported real identity of someone making an allegation of sexual assault to a person who has disclosed that they have been questioned by police concerning those allegations.
There is a pointed suggestion that the media should take account of the vulnerability of people making allegations.First, for those who have made allegations of sexual abuse, it is extremely distressing to discover that their identity might have been given to anyone else, particularly if that is to someone who may be involved in the case. Secondly, possible victims or witnesses reading the article may believe their identities could be revealed as well, which could deter them from coming forward. Ultimately, that could make it harder for allegations to be proved or disproved. This might not just deter those who could provide information for this investigation but also concern anyone thinking of coming forward with sexual abuse allegations. Finally, the potential disclosure by a journalist of a name may possibly hamper an investigation. Names will be disclosed by police to those involved in the case, but that will be at the appropriate time for the investigation depending on how those lines of enquiry progress.
There is a denial that any authorised disclosure of the names of the subject of allegations has taken place.What can be overlooked, at times, is that those making allegations are very often vulnerable individuals. A useful definition of ‘vulnerable people’ is set out in the Ofcom code for broadcasters (8.22). It is important to note that the police must take account of this vulnerability at all stages, irrespective of whether the allegations can be substantiated or not. We ask the media and those asked to comment to do likewise. We also think the press should consider following Ofcom’s approach by amending its code to recognise that vulnerability in reporting of crime is not just a matter of the age of witnesses or victims.
As to Operation MidlandMoreover, the Commissioner told the Home Affairs Select Committee in March that he supports the proposal for granting accused people anonymity until charge.
(...)There are also allegations of sexual abuse but the MPS has made clear from the outset that this is, and remains, a murder investigation.
The integrity of our investigation is paramount, and the public can have confidence that allegations of homicide are being investigated thoroughly. Our officers have the resources to test all the evidence, and we have not yet completed this task. It is then for the Crown Prosecution Service to make a decision on whether to prosecute.