Cameron orders child abuse claim investigation
Source: Agencies |
November 6, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday ordered an investigation into the way historic child abuse claims in a Welsh children's home were examined.
The move comes after a paedophile victim told the BBC that an unidentified Conservative Party figure had abused children in social care during the 1970s.
"Child abuse is an absolutely hateful and abhorrent crime and these allegations are truly dreadful and they mustn't be left hanging in the air, so I'm taking action today," Cameron said.
He said the victim, Steven Messham, would be given a meeting with the minister for Wales and urged anyone with knowledge of abuse to report it to the police.
"I'm going to be asking a senior independent figure to lead an urgent investigation into whether the original inquiry was properly constituted and properly did its job and to report urgently to the government," Cameron said.
The unmasking of late BBC star presenter Jimmy Savile as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders has prompted concern that some powerful paedophiles from the 1970s and 1980s may have used their influence to shield them from punishment.
The BBC's current affairs program aired child abuse allegations last Friday night against what it called a Conservative political figure from the era of Margaret Thatcher, who served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990. He was not named.
Steven Messham, one of hundreds of victims of sexual abuse at children's care homes in Wales over two decades, told BBC Newsnight that he was sexually abused by a prominent Conservative political figure and others in the late 1970s.
The move comes after a paedophile victim told the BBC that an unidentified Conservative Party figure had abused children in social care during the 1970s.
"Child abuse is an absolutely hateful and abhorrent crime and these allegations are truly dreadful and they mustn't be left hanging in the air, so I'm taking action today," Cameron said.
He said the victim, Steven Messham, would be given a meeting with the minister for Wales and urged anyone with knowledge of abuse to report it to the police.
"I'm going to be asking a senior independent figure to lead an urgent investigation into whether the original inquiry was properly constituted and properly did its job and to report urgently to the government," Cameron said.
The unmasking of late BBC star presenter Jimmy Savile as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders has prompted concern that some powerful paedophiles from the 1970s and 1980s may have used their influence to shield them from punishment.
The BBC's current affairs program aired child abuse allegations last Friday night against what it called a Conservative political figure from the era of Margaret Thatcher, who served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990. He was not named.
Steven Messham, one of hundreds of victims of sexual abuse at children's care homes in Wales over two decades, told BBC Newsnight that he was sexually abused by a prominent Conservative political figure and others in the late 1970s.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
