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Wales child abuse: Tory aide claims investigated Wales child abuse: 'No public names' in report
(about 4 hours later)
The Conservative Party says it will ensure there is a full investigation into claims one of Margaret Thatcher's aides was involved in child abuse. The author of a shelved report into abuse at children's homes in the 1970s and 1980s said public figures were not among names given by victims.
A former resident has alleged that Sir Peter Morrison, who died in 1995, visited the Bryn Estyn children's home on several occasions. John Jillings said he did not recall allegations that children were taken from north Wales homes and abused.
The home is at the centre of allegations of child abuse in north Wales during the 1970s and 1980s. One victim said an independent inquiry commissioned by Clwyd County Council, on which the report was based, would have been told of such abuse claims.
The home secretary has launched a new police inquiry into the allegations. Steve Messham criticised Mr Jillings' recollection about the names given.
The crime agency head, Keith Bristow, will look at how the historic claims were handled, and at fresh allegations. He will report by April 2013, Theresa May told MPs. The home secretary has launched a new police inquiry into the abuse allegations.
The Serious and Organised Crime Agency and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will also be involved. The report was commissioned by Clwyd County Council in March 1994 after claims of widespread abuse across almost 40 homes in north Wales emerged, but was never published because of legal concerns.
'Fresh allegations' 'Memory fading'
On Tuesday, Channel 4 News broadcast an allegation from an unnamed former resident of Bryn Estyn that he had seen the late Sir Peter Morrison - a former close aide to Mrs Thatcher - visit the care home and drive away with one of the boys living there. When asked what names emerged from the victims, Mr Jillings told BBC4's World At One: "I'd rather not get involved in listing names because it's a long time behind me, they didn't include well-known people in public life."
A spokesman for Conservative Central Office later responded by saying: "We will do everything in our power to ensure these serious allegations are investigated fully." "The people the investigation focussed on, because these were the people that the children spoke to us about, were staff members."
Claims of alleged abuse were highlighted last week when Mr Messham said the subsequent government-commissioned Waterhouse inquiry had uncovered only a fraction of the abuse.
"In the home it was the standard abuse which was violent and sexual. Outside it was like you were sold," he told BBC Newsnight, and detailed being tied down and raped in a hotel room.
In an interview with BBC reporter Sima Kotecha, Mr Jillings was asked if he remembered Mr Messham's allegations.
"I don't recall it, no. My memory may be fading but I don't remember that was one of the issues he raised with us. I can remember very, very serious allegations of abuse by staff members," he said.
He was also asked whether he had heard claims by one of the victims of abuse by a leading Thatcher-era Conservative politician who is still alive.
"Not to the best of my knowledge. I'm sure that would have lodged in my mind and we would have wanted to investigate it had we known about it."
Mr Messham said if he had taken part in the inquiry, it would have had copies of his statements in which he had always been "crystal clear" about who abused him.
"To say that people outside the homes weren't named, that is completely wrong as well. He says however, and credit to him in this way, 'well my remit was to investigate the staff in the homes'.
"Well, yes, OK, that was his remit but to say he wasn't told of any abuse that took place outside the homes, to say he wouldn't be told about the hotel in Wrexham, I think is appalling."
Mr Jillings said he was led to believe the report was not published because the county council's insurers felt it could result in individual children suing for compensation in a way that could have been costly.
"We were very frustrated, we were concerned on behalf of the children, we felt that we had wasted an enormous amount of time and effort and not to be able to publish the report was totally unacceptable," he said.
Municipal Mutual Insurance said that based upon legal advice it considered the report prepared by Mr Jillings had not been suitable for publication.
A spokesman said: "The Waterhouse tribunal commented in its report entitled Lost in Care, that it was almost inevitable that there would be allegations of a 'cover up' by Clwyd. However, the tribunal accepted these allegations were unjustified."
Mr Jillings said some of the victims may have deliberately not mentioned well-known people when being questioned because they were frightened of the repercussions.
Jane Tunstill, who also worked on the report, told the BBC she did not remember any of the victims talking about politicians.
Fresh allegations
Earlier, the Conservative Party said it would ensure there was a full investigation into claims one of Thatcher's aides was involved in child abuse.
On Tuesday, Channel 4 News broadcast an allegation from an unnamed former resident of Bryn Estyn that he had seen the late Sir Peter Morrison - a former close aide to Mrs Thatcher - visit the care home on several occasions in the 1980s and drive away with one of the boys living there.
Sir Peter, who was MP for Chester from 1974 to 1992, died in 1995.Sir Peter, who was MP for Chester from 1974 to 1992, died in 1995.
Meanwhile, the children's commissioner for Wales said his office had received 38 calls since a victim of the abuse, Steve Messham, spoke out last week. Meanwhile, the children's commissioner for Wales said his office had received 38 calls since Mr Messham spoke out.
Keith Towler said some of the calls were from people who "wanted to make fresh allegations" of abuse.Keith Towler said some of the calls were from people who "wanted to make fresh allegations" of abuse.
"We're taking calls from anywhere and everywhere," said Mr Towler.
Some of the calls were directly related either to the Waterhouse inquiry or to abuse in children's homes dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, he said.
"Other people are raising other issues related to other matters - you will appreciate I cannot go into the detail of that," he added.
The alleged abuse centring on children's homes in north Wales - and specifically the Bryn Estyn home at Wrexham - began to emerge in the 1990s.The alleged abuse centring on children's homes in north Wales - and specifically the Bryn Estyn home at Wrexham - began to emerge in the 1990s.
North Wales Police investigated the claims in 1991 and of eight prosecutions, seven former care workers were convicted.North Wales Police investigated the claims in 1991 and of eight prosecutions, seven former care workers were convicted.
But it was widely believed that the abuse was on a far greater scale, prompting the setting up of a public inquiry in 1996 which was headed by Sir Ronald Waterhouse and heard evidence from 650 people.But it was widely believed that the abuse was on a far greater scale, prompting the setting up of a public inquiry in 1996 which was headed by Sir Ronald Waterhouse and heard evidence from 650 people.
After the report was published in 2000, there were 140 compensation claims settled on behalf of the victims, and numerous recommendations about children in care homes.After the report was published in 2000, there were 140 compensation claims settled on behalf of the victims, and numerous recommendations about children in care homes.
The allegations were highlighted again last week when Mr Messham told BBC's Newsnight that the inquiry in 1996 had uncovered only a fraction of the abuse.
It has raised concerns that the remit of the inquiry was too narrow, and that it failed to consider allegations about children being taken out of the homes to be made available to abusers.