Key witnesses in two child sex probes ‘appear to be linked’
Key witnesses in a probe into allegations of child sex abuse by Sir Edward Heath and a collapsed inquiry into claims of a VIP paedophile ring appear to be linked, a whistleblower has said.
Dr Rachel Hoskins said the sole accuser in the Scotland Yard inquiry shut down in March and a key female witness in the live Wiltshire Police probe into allegations against the late PM, “appeared to have cross-contaminated their stories”.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, she said there were also “geographical coincidences” in relation to the witnesses, who have been given the names “Nick” and “Lucy X”.
In September police enlisted Dr Hoskins, an expert in ritualistic crimes, to review the evidence in the two probes. Both accusers made claims that Sir Edward was present during the abuse and murder of children.
The criminologist concluded that the investigations rest on “over active” imaginations of fantasists who had been subjected to controversial psychiatric techniques and decided to speak out.
Dr Hoskins said: “I have seen in the personal notes written by both Lucy X and Nick how time and again they say their psychotherapists enabled them to recall their past. I believe that without their psychotherapists there would have been no evidence.”
Coverage of Nick’s allegations was widespread when they were first revealed in 2014 by the now-defunct news agency Exaro, triggering Operation Midland.
Dr Hoskins said the two witnesses’ fathers are said to have worked alongside each other in the same community, however there is no evidence the witnesses ever met, the criminologist said.
Scotland Yard has apologised to former Army chief Lord Bramall, former Tory MP Harvey Proctor and the widow of Tory peer Leon Brittan after the collapse of Operation Midland.
They had been named as part of the investigation into lurid claims of child murder and sexual abuse made by Nick.
After nearly two years of investigation no evidence was found to support the allegations, once labelled “credible and true” by detectives.
Sir Richard Henriques, a High Court judge who led a review of the probe, said the reputations of those falsely accused ”were shattered by the word of a single, uncorroborated complainant”.
Mr Proctor said on Sunday that he was “very concerned” by Dr Hoskins’ disclosures in a letter to Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Mike Veale and suggested Sir Richard reviewed Operation Conifer.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2016, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Chris Ison / PA Wire.
