MP warns child abuse inquiry will ‘corrode everything’

By The Press Association28th May 2015News EnglandChild Abuse, Inquiry, News England, Non-Recent / Historic Abuse, Sexual Abuse

The scandal of historic child abuse will “corrode everything” over the course of the new Parliament, a Labour MP has warned.

John Mann (Bassetlaw) said it would be one of the defining issues of the next five years.

Speaking in the Queen’s Speech debate, he told the Commons: “Why was Cyril Smith allowed to get away with prolific child abuse for so many years?

“My constituency is no worse, no different to anywhere else in the country. This is nationwide, it’s every aspect of society.

“I’m expecting other people with other names coming forward from other parts of the country in the near future, others have already done so.

“The scandal of historic child abuse in this country is going to be one of the defining issues of the next five years.

“It is going to corrode everything over this Parliament because it is so large, it is so huge, it involves so many people.”

Mr Mann also called on the Government to lift the restrictions of the Official Secrets Act to enable those with information who want to to come forward.

And he spoke about Esther Baker who alleged yesterday that a well-known politician was part of a VIP paedophile ring that sexually abused children in the Staffordshire countryside in the 1980s and ’90s.

The 32-year-old, who waived her right to lifelong anonymity, said he was part of an influential group that routinely abused young girls in Cannock Chase while uniformed police officers stood guard.

Mr Mann said: “It wasn’t just Smith. There were far more, far more and what’s been unravelled just now in Staffordshire from yesterday is just one other aspect of it.”