MPS makes fresh referral to IOPC over Operation Midland
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is to make a second voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to Operation Midland, following fresh complaints that its officers had failed to fully investigate two other men for lying about being abused as children.
The news comes after Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick was also referred to the IOPC for her involvement in the same investigation.
Launched in 2014, Operation Midland investigated allegations against senior MPs and other members of the establishment, and led to raids on the homes of several high-profile individuals, including D-Day veteran Lord Bramall, the late Lord (Leon) Brittan and former MP Harvey Proctor.
The claims, made by fantasist Carl Beech included the rape, torture and murder of boys in the 1970s and 1980s. The allegations were eventually proved to be entirely false and he is now serving an 18-year prison sentence for 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud.
The Metropolitan Police Service was heavily criticised in an independent review of the case by former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques but the IOPC found no evidence of misconduct or criminality by the officers during the operation.
Two men known as ‘A’ and ‘B’ – who gave accounts that seemingly supported the allegations made by Beech – had “both deliberately lied”, according to the Henriques report.
His findings recommended that “offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice be considered” against the two men and this should be carried out by another force.
In December, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime referred Dame Cressida to the IOPC following a formal complaint being made by Mr Proctor. He accused the commissioner of dereliction of duty during the investigation.
A spokesperson for the MPS said: “Records show clear evidence of careful consideration of this matter and a clear rationale for not commencing an investigation, but not of the explicit recording of this to the standard required.
“Therefore, a complaint against the MPS will be recorded and, given the understandable public interest in this case, will be voluntarily referred to the IOPC in accordance with statutory guidance.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “We will carefully assess the MPS referral once received.”
