This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/nov/08/david-cameron-warns-witch-hunt-paedophilia

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
David Cameron warns against 'witch-hunt' amid paedophilia allegations David Cameron warns against 'witch-hunt' amid paedophilia allegations
(about 2 hours later)
David Cameron has warned that accusations of paedophilia against senior Conservative politicians risk creating a "witch hunt", particularly against gay people. David Cameron has warned that accusations of paedophilia against senior Conservative politicians risk creating a witch-hunt, particularly against gay people.
The prime minister made his comments after being confronted on daytime television with a piece of paper listing the names circulating on the internet about the Tory politicians possibly involved in child sex abuse allegations. It was accidentally briefly flashed on air. The prime minister made his comments after being confronted on daytime television with a piece of paper listing names circulating on the internet of Tory politicians possibly involved in child sex abuse allegations. It was accidentally briefly flashed on air.
Speaking on ITV1's This Morning, Cameron appealed to anybody with information to contact the police but raised concerns over the internet speculation about who may be embroiled in the scandal dating back to the 1970s and 80s. Speaking on ITV1's This Morning, Cameron appealed to anybody with information to contact the police but raised concerns over the internet speculation about who may be embroiled in the scandal, dating back to the 1970s and 1980s.
"I've heard all sorts of names bandied around and what then tends to happen is everyone sits around and speculates about people, some of whom are alive, some of whom are dead," he told This Morning."I've heard all sorts of names bandied around and what then tends to happen is everyone sits around and speculates about people, some of whom are alive, some of whom are dead," he told This Morning.
"I do think it's very important that anyone who's got any information about any paedophile, no matter how high up in the country or whether they are alive or dead, go to the police.""I do think it's very important that anyone who's got any information about any paedophile, no matter how high up in the country or whether they are alive or dead, go to the police."
The presenter Phillip Schofield passed Cameron a piece of paper listing names he had gathered from the internet, telling Cameron "you know the names on that piece of paper, will you be speaking to these people?". The presenter, Phillip Schofield, passed Cameron a piece of paper listing names he had gathered from the internet, telling Cameron: "You know the names on that piece of paper, will you be speaking to these people?"
Cameron replied: "There is a danger if we are not careful that this can turn into a sort of witch hunt, particularly about people who are gay, and I'm worried about the sort of thing you are doing right now, taking a list of names off the internet." Cameron replied: "There is a danger if we are not careful that this can turn into a sort of witch-hunt, particularly about people who are gay, and I'm worried about the sort of thing you are doing right now, taking a list of names off the internet."
He said the allegations were "extremely serious" and the government had "moved quickly to try to get to the bottom of what they are".He said the allegations were "extremely serious" and the government had "moved quickly to try to get to the bottom of what they are".
Allegations that senior Conservative politicians may have been involved in child abuse at children's homes in north Wales triggered two separate inquiries this week. They are the latest in a number of inquiries set up over recent weeks after a slew of historic child sex abuse allegations involving the BBC, care homes and Whitehall surfaced, beginning with revelations about BBC presenter Jimmy Savile. Allegations that senior Conservative politicians may have been involved in abuse at children's homes in north Wales triggered two separate inquiries this week. They are the latest in a number of inquiries set up over recent weeks after a slew of historic child sex abuse allegations involving the BBC, care homes and Whitehall surfaced, beginning with revelations about the BBC presenter Jimmy Savile.
The home secretary, Theresa May, announced on Tuesday that the incoming director general of the new National Crime Agency, Keith Bristow, would head a team looking at how North Wales police investigated allegations of child abuse in the 1970s and 80s, amid claims that they failed to take complaints seriously. A high court judge, Mrs Justice Julia Wendy Macur, would examine the scope and conduct of the previous Waterhouse inquiry into the abuse. One of the main issues will be why 28 alleged abusers, including an influential ally of Lady Thatcher, were identified during the inquiry but had their names protected. The home secretary, Theresa May, announced on Tuesday that the incoming director general of the new National Crime Agency, Keith Bristow, would head a team looking at how North Wales police investigated allegations of child abuse in the 1970s and 1980s, amid claims that they failed to take complaints seriously. A high court judge, Mrs Justice Julia Wendy Macur, would examine the scope and conduct of the previous Waterhouse inquiry into the abuse. One of the main issues will be why 28 alleged abusers, including an influential ally of Lady Thatcher, were identified during the inquiry but had their names protected.
The former children's minister Tim Loughton used an open letter to the prime minister on Thursday to urge him to launch a single, wide-ranging, judicial inquiry into child abuse for fear of "drowning" in separate inquiries "which now run to double figures". The Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, who served as children's minister for two years until being dropped in the September reshuffle, said it was time to set up an overarching inquiry "into what went wrong across a whole range of institutions". The former children's minister Tim Loughton used an open letter to the prime minister on Thursday to urge him to launch a single, wide-ranging judicial inquiry into child abuse for fear of "drowning" in separate inquiries, "which now run to double figures". The Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, who served as children's minister for two years until being dropped in the September reshuffle, said it was time to set up an overarching inquiry "into what went wrong across a whole range of institutions".
Cameron did not rule out one "mega inquiry" further down the line, but said he was interested in getting the information in the quickest way possible. Cameron did not rule out one "mega inquiry" in future, but said he was interested in getting the information in the quickest way possible.
He told This Morning: "The real question is would that help us get to the truth quickly. The idea that if you had one mega inquiry that you would speed everything up I'm not sure it's true. I don't rule out taking further steps. I want the government to be absolutely on top of this. I don't want anything to be covered up, I don't want any information held back. He told This Morning: "The real question is would that help us get to the truth quickly. The idea that if you had one mega-inquiry that you would speed everything up – I'm not sure it's true. I don't rule out taking further steps. I want the government to be absolutely on top of this. I don't want anything to be covered up, I don't want any information held back.
"If there are more things we have to do, we will do them. But we always have to remember it's very easy for governments to stand up and say: 'Here's a new inquiry'. What we have got to do is get to the truth as fast as we possibly can.""If there are more things we have to do, we will do them. But we always have to remember it's very easy for governments to stand up and say: 'Here's a new inquiry'. What we have got to do is get to the truth as fast as we possibly can."
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said there should be an overarching review to pull together the findings and the "lessons learned" from all the inquiries into child abuse once they were completed. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said there should be an overarching review to pull together the findings and the lessons learned from all the inquiries into child abuse once they were completed.
Andrew Flanagan, the NSPCC chief executive, said: ""There is a need to ensure that the public has confidence that the numerous inquiries under way will result not only in justice for people who have suffered abuse, but in improvements to the way we protect today's children. It's vital any review puts the needs of victims right at its heart and ensures recommendations are implemented in full. Labour MP Ann Clwyd backed the setting up of a super-inquiry as she called for a shelved report detailing rape and torture at children's homes in north Wales to be published. The MP for Cynon Valley told the Commons she had seen the report by John Jillings, commissioned by Clwyd county council in 1994, which was never made public because of legal concerns.
In a question to Commons leader Andrew Lansley, Clwyd said: "Can I ask that the Jillings report be published? I saw it. I wasn't supposed to see it. It was shown to me. I saw it at the time. It was subsequently pulped by the then Clywd county council because they were afraid of the attitudes of the insurers. I would say please get the Jillings report published because it shows buggery, rape, bestiality, violent assaults and torture."
Shadow Commons leader Angela Eagle also demanded a single inquiry into claims of abuse. She said: "There are now 13 separate, overlapping inquiries into sexual abuse of children and young people. "Would it not be more appropriate for a single, overarching inquiry to be established so we could get at the truth?"
Lansley said he would ask May to look again at whether a single super-inquiry was needed.
"As the home secretary made clear, we are not ruling such an overarching inquiry out. But we must be very clear, this is not an issue of principle, this is an issue of what works best in practice. There are a range of inquiries that have powers and ability to investigate specifics. There is a danger … to substitute those with some kind of overarching inquiry, the scope of it and scale of it will impede us making progress."
Jillings said on Wednesday that his inquiry 18 years ago had focused on allegations of abuse by members of staff at the homes but found no evidence a senior Tory had been involved.
He told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "The people that our investigation focused on – because these were the people the children spoke to us about – were staff members."
Andrew Flanagan, the NSPCC chief executive, said: "There is a need to ensure that the public has confidence that the numerous inquiries under way will result not only in justice for people who have suffered abuse, but in improvements to the way we protect today's children. It's vital any review puts the needs of victims right at its heart and ensures recommendations are implemented in full.
"Whilst the cases of Jimmy Savile, Bryn Estyn children's home, and others, may appear to be quite different there will be similar failings, both from institutions and individuals.""Whilst the cases of Jimmy Savile, Bryn Estyn children's home, and others, may appear to be quite different there will be similar failings, both from institutions and individuals."
He said "public and political opinion will shift in a similar way to that seen following the death of baby Peter Connelly," who died in 2007 after horrendous abuse at home.He said "public and political opinion will shift in a similar way to that seen following the death of baby Peter Connelly," who died in 2007 after horrendous abuse at home.
"We must maintain this momentum and use this opportunity to fundamentally change how we help children and young people to talk about abuse," Flanagan said. "We must maintain this momentum and use this opportunity to fundamentally change how we help children and young people to talk about abuse," Flanagan said."
"As a country, and individually, we should commit to helping young people speak out as soon as they fear they are at risk, or as soon as abuse starts, not months or even years later.
"Much has improved in recent years but the cases of grooming gangs in Rochdale, Rotherham and elsewhere show that major failures in child protection can and do still occur.
"Confidence in the system and the authorities' ability to take action is at serious risk; we must now act decisively if we are to turn this around."