Inquiry into Reviews of Dickens/ Leon Brittan Dossiers and PIE Funding

Survivors, professionals and campaigners have understandably concentrated more on the “overarching” inquiry into historical child sexual abuse.

However it should not be forgotten that at the same time Theresa May announced the Inquiry into two reviews carried out by the Home Office. This appears to be the Terms of Reference for this Inquiry. [1] So it is a review of the reviews of the

The original Reviews were into

1. The issues surrounding the Dossiers given to Leon Brittan by Geoffrey Dickens

2. The funding of PIE by the Home Office.

It has been difficult for the public to find out details about these Reviews from public servants in the Home Office. Even more difficult was to find out details in a timely fashion.

The Geoffrey Dickens Dossier Review was instigated due to questions raised by Tom Watson. from information given to him by Peter McKelvie.

The Reviews were limited in extent and did not achieve what was intended by the people that called for them. Instead of a proper Inquiry, a review was carried out.

One FOI request attempted to get some answers in October 2013, the request was only partially answered in May 2014. The Home Office refused to answer

Re the Inquiry into the Geoffrey Dickens Dossiers 1 and 2, Please
could you say
1 When the Inquiry was commissioned?
2 By who was it commissioned?
3 How was it commissioned? If there is paperwork please could you
send it?
4 What was it set up in response to?
If it was in response to Tom Watson, then what were his questions?
or if it was to something else please give their questions.
5 What is meant in the Terms of Reference by organised child abuse?
6 Who is the Permanent Secretary at the time?
7 For the record who was the Home Secretary?
8 How many pages were each of the dossiers?
9 Were they dossiers personally handed to Home Secretary and if so
on what date?

How was it commissioned? If there is paperwork please could you send it? What was it set up in response to? If it was in response to Tom Watson, then what were his questions? or if it was to something else please give their questions.

The Home office are

will not name investigator

attemted to get some The review took sever

Executive Summary of Interim Report. [2] Executive Summary of Final Report[3] .

The Home Office has refused to publish the full reports [4]

Bearing in mind the extremely poor quality of the Reports, which would shame an 11 year old, the fact that bizarrely the interim and final reprots were published together, the fact that it was never announced that there was going to be an interim report,unexplained time period, 114 file lost not announced in the reprots or foi requests,

The fact that NSPCC Chairman Peter Wanless is involved is a matter of much concern to people who know about child abuse. The following is a letter that Rose Wynes-Devlin has written to her MP

If others wish to copy or use it to write to their MP, she is happy for you to do so.

Dear Siobhan,

I am writing to you to ask that The NSPCC should not be involved in the Inquiry that Theresa May is setting up to look into child abuse cover ups and the missing dossiers. It is regrettable that the people Ms May choose are part of the Establishment. This shows a contempt for the British public as they try to put the Inquiry into a ” safe pair of hands”

Firstly, the NSPCC has been negligent in its duty as an organization to address issues of child abuse by the rich & famous. It has failed miserably to detect paedophiles in their midst and given the scale of abuse it is more likely to be part of the problem rather than the solution. This may have more to do with its funding and corporate links. One only needs to examine the list of Patrons, companies, philanthropists, supporters to see that there is a ”Charity Establishment” and the evidence of so many important figures suggests that The NSPCC’s position is unthinkable in its position to be impartial and to go where the evidence suggests is highly unlikely.The conflict of interests is so obvious that it defies belief that NSPCC has been nominated. Andrew Flanagan an ex chairman of the NSPCC compares it to the media “It’s a regulated industry, you deal with politicians, there are big advertising budgets and it’s a people business. More similarities than differences, I tell people,” he says.

Secondly, Peter Wanless himself is ex treasury, a previous private parliamentary sec to Michael Portillo and is part of the Leeds alumina with many MP’s and influential people. As a cricket fan he frequents the clubs of the more elite type with Prince Philip as patron/ president.

It will be difficult to have a proper Inquiry if the Government insists on putting forward tainted /connected people, so it would be better to consult with the survivors and whistleblowers who they wish to conduct Inquiries as they will be less well connected.If we want to draw a line under historic abuse these Inquiries will need to be done properly as the public will not tolerate any more cover ups/incompetence and crimes. In solving / understanding what has happened we are in a better position to prevent such abusive crimes continuing today.
It has been suggested that Michael Mansfield should head the overarching Inquiry as many survivors support/ trust him. Please forward this email to Ms May on behalf of myself as your constituent.

Thank you for your help. The Missing List

May 1982: Tam Paton’s 200 page dossier Nelson
August 1983: Dickens Dossier A
24/11/1983: Minutes of meeting between LB, GD, who else
24/11/1983: Dickens Dossier B
18/01/1984: Dickens Dossier C

August 1983: Dickens Dossier A 24/11/1983: Minutes of meeting between LB, GD, who else 24/11/1983: Dickens Dossier B 18/01/1984: Dickens Dossier C

On Friday 9th June 1983 General Election sees Thatcher and the Conservatives returned for a second term.
Monday 11 June Leon Brittan became Home Secretary in Thatcher’s second term cabinet

Top people shield the child sex VIPs (Sunday People?? 23/08/1983) Dickens MP posts a letter to Home Secretary Leon Brittan – see Ban Pie Call below Tuesday 23/08/1983Ban Pie Call (Telegraph, 23/08/1983): Dickens threatens to whip up a backbench revolt ‘Why the Yard acted on PIE’ (Evening Standard, 24/08/1983) Thursday 25/08/1983Brittan wants paedophile report (The Telegraph, 25/08/1983): There were two dossiers already being passed to the DPP – One was a dossier on individual PIE members sent to DPP, the other was a ‘A Special report by Scotland Yard on an organisation campaigning for the legalisation of sex between adults and children has been called for by the Home Secretary, Mr Brittan.’ Report suggests Brittan has to request the Scotland Yard Special Report to be sent to him on his return having heard of its imminent publication while he was away on holiday.

Eight top names on my list of shame (Daily Express, 25/08/1983) “One of these people is a friend of mine but you have to be merciless to protect the young,” says Dickens MP.

26/08/1983

Yard send child sex file to DPP (Daily Mirror, 26/08/1983): Two Home Office contract workers sacked once revealed as being member of PIE. See here for further information on Home Office employee Clifford Hindley. Many of the 3,000 calls police received as giving information on the Brighton assault on the 6 year old boy are reported as having been regarded as jilted lovers attempting revenge on their ex-boyfriends?
Tuesday 30/08/1983 ‘MPs named in child sex smear bid’ (Daily Mail, 30/08/1983) Lee Edwards’ story gets legs. The full Scotland Yard report will be on Leon Brittan’s desk on his return to Whitehall this morning. The Home Secretary will be told of a bid to smear MPs and a TV star. Envoys in Child Sex Quiz: FBI uncover link to traitor Prime (Daily Star, 30/08/1983) Public anger after attack on six-year old boy – Child sex group’s leaders step out of the shadows (The Canberra Times, 30/08/1983) – Australia.

Spotlight: Geoffrey Dickens and Arthur Hutchinson’s ‘Hit List’Police guarding home of Tory MP (The Guardian, 03/11/1983) Guard for ‘hit list’ MP (Daily Mail, 03/11/1983) Lame fox caught in big chase: Fugitive limps to the final drama (News of the World, 06/11/1983) MP alleges paedophilia at palace (The Times, 24/11/1983) – Also diplomatic and civil service allegations, not just Buckingham Palace. Palace link in child sex scandal (Daily Express, Friday 25/11/1983): ‘Express Exclusive on the dossier of shame that shocked the Home Secretary’ – ‘massive dossier of evidence’ – ‘sex scandal involving a 16 year old boy’ at Buckingham Palace – Dickens MP was ‘greatly encouraged by his 30 minute meeting with Mr Brittan’ – ‘…the Home Secretary was equally as sickened about this as I am. He told me that he would investigate all the cases in my file. Mr Brittan also told the MP that he would take action to fill any gaps in the law relating to child sex’.’ If Brittan’s memory is of the same meeting Dickens was quoted on attending above, Dickens had been greatly encouraged by Brittan’s response. Dickens was quite open to the press about the nature of the allegations contained in the dossier and yet the Buckingham Palace, diplomatic and civil service allegations which had ‘equally sickened’ Brittan weren’t memorable. 1984 January 1984Dickens gives second dossier to Leon Brittan, Home Secretary The January 1984 dossier , reported to be 50 pages, contained information on the Paedophile Information Exchange, an organisation that campaigned to legalise sex with children, and gave details of ‘sex assaults at a children’s home’, named prominent paedophiles including a ‘top television executive’ alleged to have had sex with a child and seen with known paedophiles, and alleged police were accepting bribes from sex-shop owners. Row over Palace Vice ‘Cover-Up’ (News of the World, 15/01/1984, Alex Marunchak) – ‘A secret report alleging an Establishment cover-up over a homosexual vice ring at Buckingham Palace is being studied by Home Secretary Leon Brittan’ – ‘been operating for years’ – ‘senior civil servants who he says had in his office 57 obscene slides showing adults having sex with children. The incident was hushed up by the Civil Service, he claims’. Thursday 19th January 1984 Huddersfield Daily Examiner (19.1.84) gives more detail on the January 1984 dossier – apparently it also contains ‘allegations of child assault at the ceremonies of religious cults‘. MP hands over shock report on child sex (Daily Mirror, 19/01/1984) Limited Inquiry will not satisfy Kincora critics (Irish Times, 19/01/1984) : Terms of reference confined to Social Services field – unsure if it would have the powers to:- (a) subpoena witnesses; or (b) make witnesses produce documentary evidence; or (c) require witnesses to answer questions In Scotland The Glasgow Herald reports Woman tells Old Bailey jury she never met Heath (19/01/1984) The defendant to an accusation of rape claimed his ex-lover was trying to silence him because he saw photos of Edward Heath and a Detective Sergeant Wallace in pornographic photos involving his two children and his wife. “The court heard on Tuesday that Mr Heath categorically denied he was in the alleged photographs.” Limited Inquiry will not satisfy Kincora critics, The Irish Times, 19/01/1984 June 1984 Funfair man in Mark hunt 9th June Daily Mirror Jason Swift ‘ I didn’t know human beings could do such evil things’ Rumors in Westminister of child-sex scandal prompt PM to step in (The Globe & Mail Canada, 23/06/1984, Vera Frankl) ‘Child sex link man’ sues for £20,000 (Capital Gay 15/06/1984) Ian Dunn Defence Fund. 30th March Police action urged over ‘Mason’ network. Islington Gazette During 1984 several children were abducted froman amusement arcade Fair Play on the Holloway Road Dickens in Hansard 27/06/1984: paedophile holidays – FCO investigation September 1984Sex for sale by girls in care starts home inquiry (Daily Mail, 22/09/1984) – Dave Adams House, Norman Grove, Bow, E London – Tower Hamlets. ‘young girls sold sexual favours with the knowledge of the staff’ – ‘aged 12 – 14′. October 1984 Friday 12th October : Brighton – IRA bomb at Tory Party Conference. November 1984Child Sex ring’s Home Office Link (Evening Standard, 07/11/1984): During the trial of Bremner and Joy it was revealed a Home Office telephone number was being used in Steven Adrian Smith’s office. Smith, 30, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow fled to Holland. ‘Child sex pair cleared’ (The Sun, 14/11/1984) November 1984: PIE Trial of Bremner and Joy February 1985Leeds Child Abuse dossier given to Home Secretary Leon Brittan (Yorkshire Evening Post, 14/02/1985) – Shock dossier on the schoolgirl prostitutes May 1985: Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 comes into force on 23rd May establishing Crown Prosecution Service and codifying prosecution process. July 1985 6 July 1985 – Jason Swift goes missing from his sister’s home in Hackney, aged 14 Spotlight: Sidney Cooke and the Crown Prosecution Service When Operation Orchid ended, “detectives admitted that they knew there were up to a dozen members of the ring who had escaped prosecution“. We now have a much better idea of who these other members of the ring might be, thanks to a former Operation Orchid detective who spoke to the Mirror.

A former detective who worked on the original investigation into Cooke told the Sunday Mirror that the minister was among those alleged to have been photographed in a 1986 police surveillance on premises where boys had been dropped off. Others allegedly included Jimmy Savile, MP Cyril Smith and top judges – though none of them were ever arrested.

November 1985Parliament: Concern at prosecution tactics – DPP’s office (The Times, 12/11/1985): Dickens MP has lost hope in Sir Tony Hetherington’s ability to prosecute 4 and a half years after he first used parliamentary privilege to name Sir Peter Hayman in the House of Commons,

“The Director of Public Prosecutions should be asked to put his house in order or resign, Mr Geoffrey Dickens (Littleborough and Saddleworth, C) maintained during questions in the Commons to the Solicitor General. Many MPs and members of the public were very disturbed at the workings of the DPP’s office, said Mr Dickens. Time and time again (he said) good and proper evidence is put forward and many times charges are abandoned. Many times lesser charges are brought which disturbs many people like myself and certainly disturbs observers at the trial. Will the Solicitor General ask the DPP to get his house in order or resign? Sir Patrick Mayhew, the Solicitor General: I shall talk to the DPP at 3.45pm today but I shall not put to him that question or suggestion Mr Dickens has just put. His question was rather long on generalities but singularly short on particulars.”

Police identify body of murdered boy (The Times, 04/12/1985): The body of 14 year old Jason Swift is found in Ongar, Essex. 1986 During 1986 the new Crown Prosecution Service is established, see Sir Tony Hetherington, the Director of Public Prosecutions from 1977 – 1987 – Obituary

“Partly as a result of many emerging concerns and following a Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure, a decision was made to form a new national body, the Crown Prosecution Service, and it was Hetherington’s task to oversee the changeover and to head up the new operation in 1986. He had offered to stay on beyond his retirement date to assist in the difficult early days. He had to weather the storm of criticisms which greeted the new organisation as it experienced many teething problems and staff shortages. Colleagues of the time praised his low-key manner and quiet wit.” Friday 14th February 1986‘MP calls for report on child brothels’ (The Times, 14/02/1986) ‘Scandal of Brothel kids’ (Daily Mirror, 14/02/1986) Council tenant had sent a tape of recordings of children screaming during ‘sex sessions’ to Scotland Yard and Dickens. When the council tenant when interviewed gives more detail as to why screaming, “I think it is dreadful to think that violent child prostitution can occur on this kind of scale Dickens alleges Archway district estates have a brothel with up to 40 children to age of six being pimped.

‘[Dickens’ informant] has passed on to Scotland Yard tapes purporting to depict the voices of children clearly taking part in unsavoury activities. Scotland Yard has told me it is treating these allegations seriously. I hope that urgent action will be taken to stamp out this evil trade.’

Tuesday 18 February 1986 Conventions of the House (Hansard, Tuesday 18/02/1986) There was seemingly no love lost between Dickens and local MP Jeremy Corbyn MP, in whose constituency the Elthorne and Archway estates were located, Islington North. Dickens poked at Corbyn for an incident involving the IRA somehow, and Corbyn repeats his request that Dickens attend the estate and apologise to the residents there.
Wednesday 19 February 1986 ‘Parliament: Apology sought for child brothel claim’(The Times, Wednesday 19/02/1986) Jeremy Corbyn MP (Lab – Islington North) asked Dickens to go to the Archway estate and apologise
Friday 21 February 1986 Estate in fury over child sex ‘slur’’(Islington Gazette, Friday 21/02/1986) Dickens remained unrepentant and refused to apologise having received further information from another source.
Monday 24 February Child Brothels: More evidence’(Social Work Today, Monday 24/02/1986) Dickens states police investigation has started and refuses to apologise. John Rea Price, (also on VCC) Islington Social Services Director says no evidence has been found of brothels.
Friday 28 February ‘What this crusader is really up to’ ….. (Letter to Editor, Islington Gazette, Friday 28/02/1986) For further information on what the writer of this letter had really been up to himself, Roger Moody, a paedophile rights activist and convicted child abuser see Spotlight:

1987 Spring 1987: Sidney Cooke’s charges downgraded from murder to manslaughter In spring 1987, when the decision to downgrade the charge was made, the Director of Public Prosecutions would have been either Sir Thomas Hetherington or Sir Alan Green. I haven’t been able to establish the exact date in 1987 when Hetherington stepped down and Green replaced him. They were both a safe pair of hands for the Establishment. In 1981, Hetherington had taken the decison not to prosecute paedophile diplomat Sir Peter Hayman. December 1987: Operation Hedgerow 140 boys quizzed in sex ring scandal: 23 arrested over chid porn probe (Daily Mirror, 02/12/1987) Operation Hedgerow, one of the most successful investigations and prosecutions of a network of child abusers centred around Brent involving a Foreign Office lawyer, Colin Peters, resident in Notting Hill. A special hot line was set up to encourage others to come forward in December 1987. When the trial later took place in November 1988 at the Old Bailey it was one of the first trials where adults who had been abused as children were allowed to give evidence behind screens shielded from the defendant and via video link. Boys between 10 and 15 years old were the targets. Police arrest 16 in child sex swoop (Willesden & Brent Chronicle, 03/12/1987, Mark Leslie) Lords Man quizzed as 7 face child sex charges (Daily Mirror, 03/12/1987, Sylvia Jones & Gordon Hay) Amongst 24 arrested in police swoop earlier this week was a “top House of Lords official” – “married…seen by millions of viewers in a TV series on the Lords” – “He was believed to have been arrested at a clinic in central London where he was being treated for a recurring long-term illness. He was taken to a police station and quizzed for an hour before his medical condition gave rise to concern and he was returned to the hospital” – “Seven men due to appear before Willesden magistrates today are the only ones still in custody following the police swoop.” 2012 Oct 24 Tom Watsons PMQ [18] 2012 Feb 12 [30] Review started/announced 2013 March 4 Home Office Review 1 began 2013 Aug 1 FOI release [25]Independent Review of files to identify information about organised child sexual abuse 2013 October 4 FOI Question Shona Scott re Inquiry into Dickens Dossiers 2014 May 16 FOI Question Shona Scott Answered 2014 Jan independent Inquiry into whether Home Office had directly or indirectly provided any funding to the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) during the period 1973-85 2014 July 6 114 Files announced missing [28] 2014 July 24 Home Office Release [26] Proposed Review and terms of reference of alleged failure of Home Office to act on allegations of abuse in the 1980s 25 Aug 1982 [46] Cover up started when Thatcher briefed 3 dossiers Director of Public Prosecutions

Sir Norman Skelhorn QC (1964–1977)
Sir Thomas Hetherington QC (1977–1987; first head of CPS)
Sir Allan Green QC (1987–1992)
Dame Barbara Mills DBE QC (1992–1998)
Sir David Calvert-Smith QC (1998–2003)
Sir Ken Macdonald QC (2003–2008)
Sir Keir Starmer KCB QC (2008–2013)
Alison Saunders CB (2013–present)

Attorney General England and Wales

Sir Elwyn Jones (18 October 1964 – 19 June 1970)
Sir Peter Rawlinson (23 June 1970 – 4 March 1974)
Samuel Silkin (7 March 1974 – 4 May 1979)
Sir Michael Havers (6 May 1979 – 13 June 1987)
Sir Patrick Mayhew (13 June 1987 – 10 April 1992)
Sir Nicholas Lyell (10 April 1992 – 2 May 1997)
Sir John Morris (6 May 1997 – 29 July 1999)
Gareth Wyn Williams, The Lord Williams of Mostyn (29 July 1999 – 11 June 2001)
Peter Henry Goldsmith, The Lord Goldsmith (11 June 2001 – 27 June 2007)
Patricia Janet, The Baroness Scotland of Asthal (27 June 2007 – 11 May 2010)
Dominic Grieve (12 May 2010 – 15 July 2014)
Jeremy Wright (Incumbent since 15 July 2014)

DG MI5 Security Service

1956–1965: Roger Hollis (b. 1905–d. 1973)
1965–1972: Martin Furnival Jones (b. 1912–d. 1997)
1972–1979: Michael Hanley (b. 1918–d. 2001)
1979–1981: Howard Smith (b. 1919–d. 1996)
1981–1985: John Jones (b. 1923–d. 1998)
1985–1988: Antony Duff (b. 1920–d. 2000)
1988–1992: Patrick Walker (b. 1932)
1992–1996: Stella Rimington (b. 1935)
1996–2002: Stephen Lander (b. 1947)
2002–2007: Eliza Manningham-Buller (b. 1948)
2007–2013: Jonathan Evans (b. 1958)
From April 2013: Andrew Parker (b. 1962)

DG MI6 Secret Intelligence Service

1956–1968: Sir Richard White, KCMG KBE
1968–1973: Sir John Rennie, KCMG
1973–1978: Sir Maurice Oldfield, GCMG CBE
1979–1982: Sir Dick Franks, KCMG
1982–1985: Sir Colin Figures, KCMG OBE
1985–1989: Sir Christopher Curwen, KCMG
1989–1994: Sir Colin McColl, KCMG
1994–1999: Sir David Spedding, KCMG CVO OBE
1999–2004: Sir Richard Dearlove, KCMG OBE
2004–2009: Sir John Scarlett, KCMG OBE
2009–present: Sir John Sawers, KCMG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Thatcher_ministers_1979%E2%80%9390#Cabinet_September_1981_.E2.80.93_June_1983 Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis

1958	1968	Sir Joseph Simpson	KBE, KPFSM
1968	1972	Sir John Waldron	KCVO
1972	1977	Sir Robert Mark	GBE, QPM
1977	1982	Sir David McNee	QPM
1982	1987	Sir Kenneth Newman	GBE, QPM
1987	1993	Sir Peter Imbert	QPM
1993	2000	Sir Paul Condon	QPM
2000	2005	Sir John Stevens	QPM
2005	2008	Sir Ian Blair	QPM
2009	2011	Sir Paul Stephenson	QPM
2011		Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe	QPM

City Of London Police Commissioners

Colonel Sir Arthur Young, KBE, CMG, CVO, KPM (1950–1971)
James Page, QPM (1971–1977)
Peter Marshall, QPM (1977–1985)
Owen Kelly, QPM (1985–1994)
William Taylor, QPM (1994–1998)
Perry Nove, QPM (1998–2002)
James Hart, QPM (2002–2006)
Michael Bowron, QPM (2006–2011)
Adrian Leppard, QPM (2011–)

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