Yvette Cooper demands David Cameron to order 'comprehensive and over-arching' probe into historic child abuse allegations

Investigation into the dossier alone does not go far enough, says Shadow Home Secretary

Natasha Culzac

Saturday 05 July 2014

The disappearance of a dossier which detailed alleged paedophile activity by government officials has led to further calls on David Cameron to stage a fuller and more in-depth investigation into historic child abuse within Westminster.

The campaigning MP Geoffrey Dickens handed the “explosive” file to the then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in 1983. He had reportedly told his family that it would “blow the lid off” the lives of the most well-known and influential child abusers.

The Prime Minister has now asked Home Office Permanent Secretary Mark Sedwill to stage a fresh probe into the handling of the report.

Shadow Home Sectary Yvette Cooper said the Prime Minister’s latest dossier review does not go far enough, instead calling for an “over-arching” and “comprehensive” investigation into all allegations.

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"The Prime Minister is right to intervene to demand a proper investigation into the allegations of child abuse not being acted upon by the Home Office, because we have not had answers from the Home Secretary," she said.

"The Prime Minister should ensure that the action now taken by the Home office amounts to a proper investigation into what happened and also that Theresa May publish the full review conducted in 2013.

 

Geoffrey Dickens campaigned against a suspected pedophile ring "We also need assurance that the police have been given full information now and are investigating any abuse allegations or crimes that may have been committed.

"The Prime Minister should also establish an over-arching review led by child protection experts to draw together the results from all these different case, investigations and institutional inquiries.

Mr Dickens’ son, Barry, has told the BBC  that his father, who died in 1995, would have been “hugely angered, disappointed and frustrated” if he knew that his revelations had not been acted upon.

He said: “My father thought that the dossier at the time was the most powerful thing that had ever been produced, with the names that were involved and the power that they had.”

Barry also went on to detail how the burglaries of his father’s London flat and constituency home in Greater Manchester following the allegations amounted to nothing being taken.

"They weren't burglaries," he said. "They were break-ins for a reason. We can only presume they were after something that Dad had that they wanted."

Labour MP Simon Danczuk was one of a handful of MPs calling on the Home Office to revisit the dossier, after a 2013 review concluded that the file had been passed on to the police and the material destroyed in line with the policies of the time.

He told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that there needs to be full public inquiry.

"The Prime Minister knows that there is a growing sense of public anger about allegations of historic abuse involving senior politicians and his statement represents little more than a damage limitation exercise. It doesn't go far enough.

"The public has lost confidence in these kind of official reviews, which usually result in a whitewash. The only way to get to the bottom of this is a thorough public inquiry."
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