Leo Abse MP.
Paedo MP cover-up claim: Top cop removed from sex abuse
probe after naming politicians as suspects
The
officer suddenly found himself booted off the case and put on a disciplinary
after revealing politicians were among the suspects
Tasked
with flushing out paedophiles preying on vulnerable youngsters at children’s
homes, Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll relished the challenge.
But
the officer suddenly found himself booted off the case and put on a
disciplinary after revealing politicians were named among the suspects.
At
least one of the figures is understood to have been an MP.
And
former Labour councillor Anna Tapsell claims she was visited by a police chief
to “warn her off” after she raised concerns that detectives would not properly
investigate allegations of paedophile activity in care homes.
Mr
Driscoll launched his probe into child sex abuse claims in the South London
borough of Lambeth in 1998.
But
he claims Scotland Yard began meddling as soon as the politicians were
named.
The
officer, now spearheading the fresh investigation into teenager Stephen
Lawrence’s murder, said: “I was unhappy with the interference of some senior
officers who did not appear to have a logical connection to my investigation
into child sex abuse in Lambeth.
“There
were allegations made by several people that named politicians had been involved
but I never had a chance to investigate them because I was moved before I could
do so.”
Asked
if there was a cover-up of child sexual abuse in Lambeth by Scotland Yard, he
said: “You would need an investigation to establish that.”
And
asked if it was true that a file of evidence naming politicians as suspects and
others was lost, he replied: “I handed the file to an officer and I have no
knowledge where it went after that.”
Mr
Driscoll was yesterday supported by Ms Tapsell, a chairwoman of Lambeth’s social
services committee who has highlighted sexual abuse of children in the
borough’s care for more than two decades.
She
said: “When I learned that Clive was being removed, not only from the case but
also from Lambeth, I realised that the Met were caving in to political pressure
that was far more powerful than Lambeth Council.
“I
was aware of allegations about an MP and the Met’s failure to act on those
allegations and its apparent desire to silence those who called for them to be
investigated fully was deeply shocking to me.
"Council
employees who tried to expose staff they suspected of sexual abuse were
sidelined and ignored.
“At
the same time alleged perpetrators were moved or allowed to leave for financial
misconduct or other misdemeanours, instead of for the abuse.
"This
meant many children never received the justice they deserved.”
After
Mr Driscoll’s removal, Ms Tapsell told how she raised fears about the depth of
the investigation into sex abuse claims at Brixton’s Angell Road children’s home
and South Vale youth assessment centre in West Norwood during a meeting of the
Community Police Consultative Group.
She
alleges a high-ranking officer later arrived at her home.
Ms
Tapsell added: “I doubt whether I was the only person to be visited by a senior
police officer in an attempt to warn me off.
"I
had cast doubt on the Met’s inclination to get to the bottom of the paedophile
activity within Lambeth’s care system.
“It
had outraged a high ranking officer who had spoken at that meeting. That
resulted in an unpleasant visit to my home by another senior officer.
“I
have found the minutes of that meeting in the archives of Lambeth’s CPCG but no
mention is made of the high-ranking officer’s contribution and the tape
recording is also missing.”
Labour
MP John Mann, a former Lambeth councillor, said last night: “It is essential
that an outside force conducts a full investigation into these claims.”
Mr
Driscoll, who has had a distinguished career in the Met for three decades, told
how disciplinary proceedings – known as a regulation 15 notice or a 163 form –
were started against him after he named the politicians in a confidential
meeting with council officials in the late 90s.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/paedophile-mp-cover-up-claim-detective-1785273
