The police watchdog have launched an investigation into allegations that the Metropolitan Police covered up child sex offences involving officers and MPs.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating 14 referrals relating “high-level corruption of the most serious nature” with regard to child sex offences from the 1970s to the 2000s.
The allegations include suppressing evidence, hindering or halting investigations, and covering up the offences because of the involvement of members of parliament and police officers.
The Met said that it voluntarily referred the allegations to the watchdog.
The IPCC Deputy Chair Sarah Green said:
“These allegations are of historic, high level corruption of the most serious nature.
“We will oversee the investigations and ensure that they meet the terms of reference that we will set. Allegations of this nature are of grave concern and I would like to reassure people of our absolute commitment to ensuring that the investigations are thorough and robust.”
In a statement, the Met said:
“The allegations emerged whilst officers were working on Operation Fairbank and relate to the period between 1970 and 2005.
“The MPS [Metropolitan Police] recognised the severity of the allegations, and the importance of understanding whether or not our officers had in the past acted inappropriately, and therefore voluntarily referred the 16 separate allegations to the IPCC.
“Ongoing investigations and recent convictions by officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command have shown that the MPS is fully committed to investigating non-recent allegations of sexual abuse.”
The original allegations of child abuse targeting young men in Dolphin Square by prominent members of the establishment are still being investigated by the Met.