Police say ‘no evidence’ of cover-up of sex abuse at school linked to Cyril Smith
No evidence has been found of a criminal cover-up of historical sexual abuse at a residential school for boys linked with the late politician Cyril Smith, police have said.
The investigation launched in July 2014 by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) centred on Knowl View School in Rochdale and allegations of corruption involving Smith and others in authority at the time.
The probe, codenamed Operation Clifton, has now concluded and no criminal charges will follow.
Today’s announcement comes six months after it emerged no-one would face prosecution following a separate “extensive and thorough” GMP investigation into reports of physical and sexual abuse at Knowl View from 1969 until it closed in 1995.
Operation Clifton was similarly described as a “lengthy and detailed” inquiry, with a team of 15 staff led by a senior investigating officer and oversight from three independent advisory group members.
The Manchester Evening News reported that Operation Clifton had cost £742,139 by September 2016.
In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, of GMP, said: “Operation Clifton was a lengthy and detailed investigation which has been undertaken by dedicated staff who collated and examined a large volume of information to ensure that the right conclusions could be drawn.
“Having undertaken this work I can confirm that there will be no criminal charges brought under Operation Clifton.
“Furthermore, the investigation concluded that there was no evidence of corruption or attempts to cover up the allegations to protect offenders or organisations’ reputation.”
Its findings have been submitted to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA).
GMP had previously investigated allegations of child abuse at Knowl View and other care homes across Greater Manchester.
Operation Cleopatra was launched in 1998 and lasted for six years before it led to the convictions of seven people.
Smith acted as a governor for several schools in Rochdale, including Knowl View, and when he was a town councillor was active on many committees involving youth activities.
He was elected as a Liberal MP in 1972 and became a Liberal Democrat on the formation of the new party before leaving Parliament in 1992. He was knighted in 1988 and died aged 82 in 2010.
In November 2012, GMP stated that Smith abused young boys in the 1960s in his role as secretary of the Rochdale Hostel for Boys Association.
In 2014, Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, in his co-authored book Smile For The Camera: The Double Life Of Cyril Smith, said the 29-stone politician was left free to abuse children as young as eight despite 144 complaints by victims.
In the book, former social worker Martin Digan repeated his claims that in 1994 he discovered a report made three years earlier by a HIV prevention officer who warned Rochdale Council that boys aged eight to 16 at Knowl View were at risk of Aids.
Mr Danczuk labelled Operation Clifton “a shambles”.
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