Investigating Murder Claims, London Police Bolster Rumors of Pedophile Ring
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Version 0 of 1. LONDON — Longstanding rumors of a pedophile ring of prominent Britons in the 1970s and 1980s were revived this week as London’s Metropolitan Police made a public appeal for information after questioning a man who claims to have been abused as a boy. The claims, by a man identified only as Nick, a pseudonym, were first made through the news media, including the BBC, more than a month ago. He described being taken to parties between 1975 and 1984, from age 7 to 16, at places including military bases and Dolphin Square, a legendary apartment block in an area of central London often used by members of Parliament, the secret services and recently separated men. The police appeal is part of a number of inquiries into allegations of abuse of young people by prominent Britons, including members of Parliament and senior government and military officials, stretching back 40 years. The police are focusing on claims by Nick that three young boys were murdered, and they say they consider him a credible witness. But an investigation so far has failed to find any corroborating evidence, identify any murder victims or recover any bodies. Detective Superintendent Kenny McDonald, who oversees one of the inquiries, known as Operation Midland, appealed to other witnesses or boys who might have been abused at the time to come forward. “I believe that there were other boys who were abused or who were present when the abuse took place,” he said. “There will be people who lived at or visited Dolphin Square from the early 1970s onward who will have seen or heard something that they only now understand the significance of.” “We are also investigating the murder of three young boys,” Detective Superintendent McDonald said. “We are determined to find answers.” Last month, Nick told the BBC that his abusers were self-confident. “Some of them were quite open about who they were,” he said. “They had no fear at all of being caught. It didn’t cross their mind.” The police have been accused of overlooking or suppressing allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by prominent figures, including well-known entertainers like Jimmy Savile, for decades. Another related inquiry, Operation Fernbridge, is being conducted into allegations of a similar pedophile ring of prominent people in the same period at the Elm Guest House near Barnes, in southwest London, which was then known as a homosexual brothel and was equipped with a sauna and a video studio. |