Child sex abuse inquiry: Labour MP Tom Watson says MI5's files are 'key' to probe

By Keir Mudie , Nick Dorman
Mirror
July 12, 2015

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-labour-6049698

Calls: Labour MP Tom Watson believes MI5's secret files are key to the child sex abuse inquiry

Secret files: Tom Watson wants full access from MI5, based at the Secret Intelligence Service building

Serial sex abuse: Mr Watson says Cyril Smith was allowed to terrorise children across four decades

Impartial: The inquiry is being chaired by New Zealand judge Dame Lowell Goddard

"Confident": Peter Saunders has every faith in the inquiry

"Good start": Mr Watson has praised Lowell Goddard

The Government’s child-sex abuse inquiry must be given full ­access to MI5’s secret files c­ontaining the names of ­offenders, says campaigning MP Tom Watson.

Mr Watson, 48, said: “The MI5 files are key to understanding who knew what and when.

“They might also reveal how reported crimes were not adequately investigated and on whose orders.”

The campaigning Labour MP, who first raised the VIP paedophile allegations in the Commons three years ago, says the Official Secrets Act should be disregarded as the panel takes evidence.

Mr Watson praised the Sunday People for leading the campaign to expose decades of child abuse by VIPs at various locations, including London’s upmarket Dolphin Square flats.

Along with the investigative website Exaro, we told how witnesses said they had been abused by politicians ­including former Home Secretary Leon Brittan and Liberal MP Cyril Smith.

Mr Watson, bookies favourite to be next deputy leader of the Labour Party, told the Sunday People: “Police ­investigations into the serial sex abuse of Liberal MP Cyril Smith were closed down by Special Branch in the 1970s, allowing him to ­terrorise children across four more decades.

"There are serious claims of an Establishment cover-up of allegations of paedophile abuse involving the then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in the 1980s.

“It’s also now well-documented how police failed to prosecute senior British diplomat and MI6 operative Sir Peter Hayman in 1978 despite having a ­sickening stash of paedophile literature and sexual fantasy diaries.”

Mr Watson believes that the inquiry, which has been dogged by problems since it was set up last year by Home Secretary Theresa May, has got off to a good start.

Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss lasted just six days as head of the inquiry ­during last July after her links to the Establishment were revealed.

She was replaced by Fiona Woolf, who stepped down after just over a month.

In February it was announced that the new inquiry chairman would be New Zealand judge Dame Lowell Goddard, 66, who has no known ties to any UK Establishment figures.

And after months of evidence-­gathering it looks like the inquiry is finally ready to begin in earnest.

Mr Watson added: “There must be no ifs and no buts and no obfuscation by highly-paid lawyers protecting Establishment institutions.”

Peter Saunders, from the National Association for People Abused in Childhood said: “You can tell by the things she has been saying that Dame Goddard is not interested in producing a report that is just going to sit and gather dust.

“I’m confident that victim survivors are going to be given a space to give their evidence safely and securely.

“From the things we are hearing no one is going to be immune from this inquiry.”

Each hearing of witnesses will last for around six weeks, and up to 30 will be held.

This will last for almost three and a half years, meaning likely no report before 2020 at the earliest, by which time David Cameron will no longer be Prime Minister.

The inquiry’s budget for the first year is £17.9 million.

The judge who is leading the Child Sex Abuse inquiry has got off to a good start.

Lowell Goddard said: “No one, no matter how apparently powerful, will be allowed to obstruct our inquiries” – words that will be welcomed by thousands of sex abuse survivors.”

She also made it clear no arm of the State will be immune from her orders to hand over files.

When I first raised the issue of a Westminster paedophile ring in 2012, I had suspicions Special Branch and the intelligence services had been involved in a shameful cover-up.

Since then, thanks to the determination of survivors, campaigners and the Sunday People’s tenacious reporting, the truth is looking far worse than my early fears.

Justice Goddard must have full access to all relevant intelligence files. Lawyers protecting Establishment institutions must not be allowed to block the way.