Report: Probe into VIP Westminster paedophile ring caused by ‘poor judgement’
A Met Police probe into claims of a Westminster VIP paedophile ring was caused by “poor judgement”, according to a new report.
Scotland Yard searches of the homes belonging to wrongly-accused suspects in a paedophile case were “unlawful”, a review by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques has concluded.
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Carl Beech, who made false allegations of murder and child sexual abuse against public figures, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in July.
Beech, previously known as ‘Nick’ in the media, “repeatedly and maliciously told lies to the police” and showed “no remorse” over accusations that claimed public figures had raped, tortured and murdered children in the 1970s and 1980s.
Today’s report said a “major contributing factor was the culture that ‘victims’ must be believed” in his findings.
The review of Operation Midland was launched after the investigation ended in 2016 without a single arrest.
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“Since the credibility of ‘Nick’ was not established, a decision to inform the public via the media that ‘we believe ‘Nick” was a serious mistake,” Henriques wrote.