VIP paedophile files: The sick web of high-powered and well-connected child abusers

By Keir Mudie
Mirror
March 22, 2015

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vip-paedophile-files-sick-web-5379332

Connected: The Westminster paedophiles

Bravery: Dolphin Square abuse victim 'Nick'

Since Labour MP Tom Watson stood up in the Commons in October 2012 to ask Prime Minister David Cameron to probe a high-powered ­paedophile ring with links to Number 10, the Sunday People has led the way.

We have produced a string of exclusive stories tracking the progress of Operation Fairbank and its offshoots.

Shocking revelations about the Elm Guest House dominated the early part of our investigation as traumatised victims came forward.

They claim the property in Barnes, south-west London, was used by a host of Establishment figures who attended sex-abuse parties there.

Among the names said to have visited the infamous site were Leon Brittan, Cyril Smith, Anthony Blunt, Nicholas Fairbairn and Sir Peter Morrison.

Elm Guest House was run by Carole Kasir , who later died of an apparent insulin overdose.

It was the subject of Met Police operations but none of its VIP visitors were arrested. And it was only after Operation Fairbank got going that victims’ claims were seriously investigated.

Among the accused were John Stingemore , now dead, who worked at the Grafton Close care home near the Elm Guest House and allegedly supplied boys for the site.

Colin Peters , a Foreign Office barrister, was also named as an ­alleged Elm House regular while notorious paedophile Sidney Cooke was linked to providing boys for VIP sex parties in London.

As our investigation progressed it became clear there were a number of higher-profile names involved in paedophile networks.

Sir Rhodes Boyson allegedly ­featured in the Geoffrey Dickens dossier handed to the Home Office in 1983.

Another name that came up was Peter Righton , a key Establishment figure as consultant to the National Children’s Bureau.

He was also part of the infamous Paedophile Information Exchange, which ­campaigned to lower the age of sexual consent to 10.

One of his associates, a former Treasurer of PIE, was Charles Napier – jailed last December for a string of offences against boys.

Late last year, we also broke the story of Leon Brittan’s alleged ­involvement in child abuse.

The former Home Secretary was named by a victim who said he had been abused by Brittan at a sex party at a luxury flat in Dolphin Square at Pimlico, central London.

It later emerged a Metropolitan police operation into Brittan’s ­activities had been dropped.

Also linked to Dolphin Square was disgraced diplomat Peter Hayman , another member of PIE.

Cover-ups at the Met involving VIP paedophiles are now being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

And the Sunday People will ­continue to lead the way in exposing Britain’s biggest scandal for decades.

See the gallery below for more on the VIP paedophiles and how they are linked

Brave witnesses with harrowing stories of abuse have come forward since the inquiry began.

And police are keen to hear from more people who may have vital information about historic crimes committed by paedophiles – VIPs or otherwise.

The key witness known as Nick came forward last year.

He said he had been abused by Leon Brittan and had seen a number of his friends abused by the former Home Secretary.

Asked how he knew who Brittan was, Nick told the Exaro website: “Well, he told me. Not his full name. He told me that it was Leon. It was only later in my adult life I knew who it was.”

Nick told police he had been abused at a number of locations across London including the Dolphin Square apartments.

At a Press conference last year, police said his evidence was credible and they were treating his claims seriously.

Another victim, Darren, came forward with fresh allegations involving a gang of VIP paedophiles.

Darren said he was abused by numerous members of the gang. He said he was forced to go to between 20 and 30 parties during 1993 when he was in a care home.

Another care home boy, whom we are calling Dave, told us how he was plied with drink and made to dress in fairy outfits before being abused at the Elm Guest House.

He said he and his 12-year-old brother were taken there from the Grafton Close kids’ home in south London, where they were placed in 1978.

Speaking in February 2013, when the new police probe was in its infancy, Dave said he blamed the abuse for his brother’s suicide a decade after leaving care.

He said: “The people responsible have blood on their hands. I’m speaking out now because I want justice done for me and for my brother.”

Dave and his brother were taken into care after their widowed mum killed herself.

But he says the pair were then assaulted by paedophiles at Elm Guest House, which they were taken to as “a treat”.

Police officers have interviewed Dave at his current home in a seaside town more than 100 miles from the Elm.