Carl Beech case ‘must not stop child abuse survivors speaking up’

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/23/carl-beech-case-must-not-stop-child-abuse-survivors-speaking-up

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The conviction of a former nurse who fabricated allegations about a VIP paedophile ring in Westminster must not stop genuine child abuse survivors coming forward to seek justice, leading charities have warned.

Carl Beech, who is himself a convicted paedophile, was found guilty on Monday of perverting the course of justice and fraud over his claims of abuse against a series of high-profile figures including senior politicians.

But child abuse survivors’ charities have said the 51-year-old’s false allegations – which tarnished the reputations of innocent men – must not detract from legitimate cases.

Scotland Yard has come under fire over its handling of the multimillion-pound inquiry into Beech’s claims which shut without a single arrest being made. The deputy Labour leader, Tom Watson, who met Beech and encouraged him to report his allegations to the police, has also faced scrutiny for his role.

Meanwhile, tabloid news reports of Beech’s initial claims in 2014 – peddled to the press via the Exaro news agency – have begun to be purged from the internet after his conviction.

Beech, from Gloucester, claimed the gang of abusers included the former prime minister Edward Heath, the ex-home secretary Leon Brittan, the former Tory MP Harvey Proctor and the former head of the armed forces Lord Bramall, among others. He fled to Sweden when his claims unravelled.

Peter Saunders, the founder of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) – which supports survivors of abuse – labelled Beech a “fantasist and a liar” who had done a “great deal of damage”.

“Carl Beech’s case must not detract from the many genuine child abuse survivors in society and, crucially, nor should it stop them coming forward to seek justice,” he said.

“He’s a one-off. He has proven to be a fantasist and a liar. This mustn’t detract from the wider issue of going after child abusers – and, of course, he is one of those as well as he’s been convicted of downloading child abuse images – and, critically, supporting survivors when they do come forward.”

Saunders said he had personally been in touch with the former health worker via email in late 2012 after Beech contacted him requesting the NAPAC’s assistance with a survivors’ exhibition he helped kickstart.

“He has done a great deal of damage, there’s no question of that, but like many abusers he was and is clearly cunning, manipulative, plausible,” Saunders added.

Beech, who was a governor of two schools and volunteered for the NSPCC, pleaded guilty in a separate trial in January to four counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing indecent images of children and one count of voyeurism. He committed the crimes while going to the police with his false allegations of abuse.

Fay Maxted, the chief executive of the Survivors’ Trust, also backed calls for Beech’s case not to prevent genuine survivors coming forward, adding: “It’s absolutely crucial that one case like this, which has been so high-profile and captured everyone’s attention, does not actually get in the way of the many thousands upon thousands of survivors who have had horrendous experiences.

“They deserve a fair and just response and that’s all people ask for. I think this case has highlighted some issues where maybe what was needed was a more balanced approach but that’s not the fault of all the other survivors out there who have absolutely genuine and valid reasons for coming forward.

“Ultimately, if this case does affect public confidence in these cases and it does detract from survivors coming forward then there is a huge safeguarding issue.”

A spokeswoman for the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) – which is investigating claims against local authorities, religious organisations, the armed forces and public and private institutions – urged survivors to come forward.

She said the inquiry “actively encourages victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to share their experiences with our Truth Project; so far, it has heard from more than 3,500 people across England and Wales.

“Some survivors have had their experiences published in order to help others understand the impact that abuse can have. We also heard from victims and survivors in our public hearings and will continue to do so until they conclude in 2020.”

After Beech’s conviction, Sunday People news reports of his initial claims from 2014 began being pulled from the tabloid’s website.

Numerous accounts of his allegations had appeared in the newspaper, provided by the discredited Exaro news agency, under sensational headlines such as “I saw MP throttle young boy to death”.

Reach plc, the parent company of the Mirror and Sunday People, said it had already taken down five stories based on Beech’s claims and would continue to remove others.

A spokesman declined to comment on whether the firm regretted publishing the stories and, as of Tuesday afternoon, many articles based entirely on Beech’s testimony remained available on the Mirror website, which hosts the Sunday People’s archive.

Beech faces a lengthy jail term when he is sentenced on Friday at Newcastle crown court.