UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News
Police investigating historical child abuse allegations have been handed new claims relating to late Labour MP Leo Abse and ex-speaker George Thomas.
The allegations were made to South Wales Police and have been passed to another force, the BBC understands.
Mr Abse, a gay rights champion and ex-Labour MP, died in 2008, aged 91.
Last year, police said they were investigating allegations Mr Thomas – a Labour MP and ex-Commons Speaker who died in 1997 – abused a boy, aged 9.
The Sunday Times reported that the fresh claims are understood to have been passed to officers leading an investigation into an alleged “network of politicians”.
It says a Church of England review into historical sexual abuse had also passed Mr Abse’s name to detectives from Operation Fernbridge – a Met Police inquiry into alleged child abuse involving senior politicians.
Last year, South Wales Police confirmed officers were investigating claims against Mr Thomas – who later became Viscount Tonypandy – dating back to the 1960s and 1970s.
An alleged victim, who now lives in Australia, told the Mirror newspaper he had been raped by the late MP.
Viscount Tonypandy, a Methodist preacher, held the role of Secretary of State for Wales from 1968 to 1970 and was Commons Speaker between 1976 and 1983.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.