Historical abuse accusers drop claims against Lord Janner

The family of Lord Janner has called on Home Secretary Amber Rudd to halt the investigations in the upcoming Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) devoted to the Labour peer. Daniel Janner, QC, the peer’s son, argues that the strand of the inquiry relating to his late father should be shut down. The plea comes as six men who accused the peer of sexually abusing them as children have dropped their claims seeking damages from his £2 million estate. The civil action against Lord Janner of Braunstone, who died of Alzheimer’s in December 2015, collapsed after the group’s solicitors submitted papers to the High Court last week saying that they were discontinuing their cases. Three further claimants in the High Court dropped their compensation claims in March, leaving the civil action against the former Leicestershire MP’s estate effectively ended. The Janner family, who believe this has cleared their father’s name, said: “Our father’s reputation as a man who devoted his life to good has been restored.” But some claimants in the collapsed civil proceedings could still give evidence at the IICSA. Individuals giving evidence to IICSA, which was announced by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary in 2015, will not be cross-examined. Mr Janner, 60, said he had asked Ms Rudd to step in and stop the inquiry into his father. He contended: “These false accusers, having dropped their claim because they risk being cross-examined, can no longer form the basis of this strand. “Accordingly, the existence of this strand undermines the integrity of the important work of the inquiry.” Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, who is representing the claimants, said: “Our clients will focus on working with [IICSA] to discover the truth of what really happened.” He said the civil cases risked being ruled “out of time”.