Ex-treasurer denies sex abuse charges
Source: Agencies |
November 10, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE treasurer of the Conservative Party under former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher yesterday denied allegations he had sexually abused children in the 1970s and 1980s and warned he may sue to protect his reputation.
Lord Alistair McAlpine, who served as party treasurer from 1975 to 1990, said in a statement that he had been named by ill-informed commentators on the Internet and in the media as the unidentified man accused by one pedophile victim of abusing children in social care.
"I therefore have decided that in order to mitigate, if only to some small extent, the damage to my reputation I must publicly tackle these slurs and set the record straight," he said.
The abuse claims, which follow the unmasking of late BBC star presenter Jimmy Savile as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders, have stoked concern a powerful pedophile ring may have operated in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s.
British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a probe this week after Steven Messham, one of hundreds of victims of sexual abuse at children's homes in Wales over two decades, said on BBC that a prominent member of Cameron's Conservative Party had abused him during the 1970s.
Lord Alistair McAlpine, who served as party treasurer from 1975 to 1990, said in a statement that he had been named by ill-informed commentators on the Internet and in the media as the unidentified man accused by one pedophile victim of abusing children in social care.
"I therefore have decided that in order to mitigate, if only to some small extent, the damage to my reputation I must publicly tackle these slurs and set the record straight," he said.
The abuse claims, which follow the unmasking of late BBC star presenter Jimmy Savile as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders, have stoked concern a powerful pedophile ring may have operated in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s.
British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a probe this week after Steven Messham, one of hundreds of victims of sexual abuse at children's homes in Wales over two decades, said on BBC that a prominent member of Cameron's Conservative Party had abused him during the 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.
