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Scottish police investigate Lord Janner over child sex abuse

File image of Greville Ewan Janner

Police in Scotland are investigating claims that Lord Greville Janner, rumored to have been a prolific child sex offender, abused a boy there in the 1970s.

 The allegation was first made by a Leicester man in 1991 who told the police that Lord Janner abused him on a number of trips across the UK.

 Allegations against Lord Janner surfaced in 1991. Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, recently decided not to prosecute Lord Janner with alleged child sex offenses due to his dementia, insisting that the disease is so extreme, he could not “play a part in the trial”.

“Police Scotland is conducting an investigation into an historic complaint and as such it would be inappropriate to comment…”

But Scotland has a separate and independent prosecutor from England. Scottish police have reviewed the files and are investigating whether or not to bring the case forward.

“Police Scotland is conducting an investigation into an historic complaint and as such it would be inappropriate to comment…Police Scotland is absolutely committed to bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice regardless of the passage of time."

The decision not to prosecute Janner sparked anger from many people across Britain, including alleged victims and campaigners. Janner was diagnosed with dementia in 2009 but continued to attend the House of Lords until late 2013. The Public Prosecution has said that there is enough evidence to charge Janner with 22 child sex offenses.

Alleged child abuse victims are tired of what they see as a high level political cover-up. There have been many high profile cases of alleged child abusers in the UK over the past couple of years, including Sir Jimmy Savile and Sir Cyril Smith.

Campaigners are furious that the authorities don’t vigorously investigate the alleged abusers as allegations are made of an institutional cover up to protect the powerful abusers.

Many people who have waited a long time for justice are sitting and waiting to see what the police forces in Scotland decide to do. 

LM/HA


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