Calls for review of Lord Janner child sex abuse case

Former MP Janner, 86, has been linked with a string of historic child sex abuse allegations during the 1960s,1970s and 1980s. Last month Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in England and Wales, announced there was enough evidence to prosecute Janner for 22 offences against nine children.

But she sparked huge controversy after saying he would not be charged with the crimes because he has dementia. Janner has denied any wrongdoing.

The list, which was published by the investigative journalism website Exaro prior to the election, has12 SNP politicians including newly elected MPs Alan Brown, Douglas Chapman, Martin Docherty, Drew Hendry, Paul Monaghan, Roger Mullin, John Nicolson and Tommy Sheppard. Also included is Angus MacNeil, who has been SNP MP for the Western Isles since 2005.

Brown, who now represents Kilmarnock and Loudoun, said: "Regardless of the situation there should always be justice for victims."

Nicolson, the newly-elected MP for East Dunbartonshire said: "I think the evidence needs to be examined in court - and believe the victims deserve to be heard."

Nine Scottish Labour politicians have also backed the call, including Ian Murray, who became Scotland's only Labour MP after retaining his Edinburgh South seat in the election and former MP Michael McCann, who lost his East Kilbride seat to the SNP.

The list also includes two Conservatives and four Liberal Democrats who were candidates in the election.

Some of the well-known names south of the border which appear include Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Norman Lamb, who has been tipped as a potential name to replace party leader Nick Clegg.

Last week retired policeman Kelvyn Ashby, a senior detective who investigated child abuse allegations against Lord Janner, revealed his team had found vital clues which corroborated allegations by a teenage boy that Janner had molested him at a hotel in Scotland.

But he has claimed that senior officers forced him to shelve his inquiry into Janner, who was MP for Leicester West from 1970 to 1997.

The alleged victim filed a report with police in Edinburgh in 1991, but the Crown Office has said it has no record of the case.

Jon Bird, operations manager for the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), said they had been aware of allegations about Janner for a number of years, but could not divulge details to protect the confidentiality of victims.

"Allegations about Lord Janner have been made by many people in many different parts of the country, for a very long time," he said.

Bird said they were pleased that an independent inquiry examining historical child sex abuse in England and Wales, chaired by New Zealand judge Justice Lowell Goddard, will investigate claims made against Janner.

He added: "For survivors the important thing is the truth is heard, whatever way you get to it."

Peter Wanless, the chief executive of charity NSPCC, has written a letter to the DPP demanding to know why a "trial of facts" cannot be held. Often used when an accused has mental health problems, this enables alleged victims to present their evidence in court and have a court decision made as to whether any offences had been committed, without a verdict of guilty or not guilty being given.

Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, published a lengthy statement on her decision which says a criminal trial could not properly take place in light of medical evidence which means Janner would "inevitably" be found not fit to plead and not fit to give evidence in court.

Saunders also said it was not an easy decision and she shared the frustration of the alleged victims.

She added: "For me it would have been much better to prosecute this case. If it were not for Janner's medical condition we would have been prosecuting this.

"But I don't think it's for me as DPP to take the easy way out. The easy way out would have undoubtedly been for me to duck all the criticism there is out there, to let it go before the courts."

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "The investigation of child abuse, whenever or wherever it has taken place, continues to be a top priority for Police Scotland. This has been highlighted by the launch of the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit last month.

"We would urge any victim of a sexual crime to contact police. All reports are thoroughly investigated by dedicated officers, who provide specialist support to victims and target offenders to bring them to justice."