Abuse victims outraged as Peer escapes trial over alleged child abuse

By The Press Association16th April 2015News EnglandChild Abuse, CPS, Dementia, Inquiry, Lord Janner, News England, Sexual Abuse

A veteran Labour peer will not stand trial for historic sex abuse allegations because of the “severity” of his dementia.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the allegations against Lord Greville Janner QC, 86, are “extremely serious” and the evidence against him would have warranted a criminal trial.

But his poor health means they have decided to not pursue the case in the courts.

In a statement, the CPS said it “considers that the evidential test was passed on the basis that the evidence is sufficient to have warranted charging and prosecuting Lord Janner in relation to the particular charges” relating to nine individuals.

But it added: “The CPS has concluded that Lord Greville Janner should not be prosecuted because of the severity of his dementia which means he is not fit to take part in any proceedings, there is no treatment for his condition, and there is no current or future risk of offending.”

Lord Janner would have been charged with a string of sex offences against children, the CPS said.

He would have been charged with 14 indecent assaults on a male under 16 between 1969 and 1988; two indecent assaults between 1984 and 1988; four counts of buggery of a male under 16 between 1972 and 1987; and two counts of buggery between 1977 and 1988.

Lord Janner, served as an MP for 27 years, first for Leicester North West and then Leicester West. He was made a life peer in 1997 when he retired.

In March last year Lord Janner’s House of Lords office was searched, but he was not arrested.

In 2013 his home in Barnet, north London was raided by police.

The 86-year-old father of three is a former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and has been active in efforts to get compensation for Holocaust victims.

On his website, he says he speaks nine languages and is a member of the Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Peter Saunders, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, described the decision as “outrageous” and said the only apparent reason not to charge the peer is because he is a member of the Establishment.

Mr Saunders told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Given that I understand there is massive, massive evidence and many victims that actually deserve a hearing here and they are not going to get that opportunity, and I think it’s outrageous.

“I think the excuse or the reason will be not in the public interest – I can’t think of anything else.

“We’ve been in touch, we are supporting the victims, we are supporting the survivors, we’ve been in touch with Leicestershire Police.

“There is overwhelming evidence that this should go to court but I believe the CPS, for reasons that are beyond me other than the fact that we are talking about a person who is part of the Establishment, a former MP and member of the House of Lords.”

Mr Saunders dismissed concerns that Lord Janner could not defend himself because he has dementia.

Mr Saunders said: “We still bring war criminals to justice… even when they have dementia and I believe that Lord Janner only developed the dementia relatively recently.

“You are defended by other people, he hasn’t lost all his faculties as far as I’m aware.

“We’re talking about very serious crimes, we’re not talking about minor misdemeanours, we’re not talking about a bit of fraud, we’re talking about extremely serious allegations. If there is strong evidence that those crimes occurred then it should come to court.”