Former Prime Minister Heath accused of child abuse in 1990s

[jimmy olsen]

How deep does the rot go!?

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/edward-heath-former-prime-minister-was-accused-sex-abuse-90s-n402956

Edward Heath, Former British Prime Minister, Was Accused of Sex Abuse: Watchdog

by Cassandra Vinograd and David Wyllie

A former British prime minister was accused of sex abuse involving children in the 1990s, the country's police watchdog revealed on Monday.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was investigating Wiltshire Police force's handling of claims against Edward Heath. Heath — who died in 2005 — was never prosecuted.

The IPCC said in a statement that it was looking into allegations that a criminal prosecution was not pursued and whether Wiltshire Police "took any steps to investigate" claims against Heath. A retired senior officer made both allegations, it added.

The watchdog said it was investigating whether a criminal prosecution was dropped against a person who threatened to make claims Heath "may have been involved in offences concerning children." It also said it was looking into whether that individuals' claims against Heath were ever investigated.

Wiltshire Police said it had referred itself to the IPCC and that it was seeking to identify any witnesses or victims who support the allegations of child sex abuse.

"We take all reports of child abuse, either current or that occurred in the past very seriously," the force said in a statement. "Some people may never have spoken out about the abuse they have suffered but we would urge them to please contact us and to not suffer in silence."

Related: Pedophiles in Parliament? U.K. Pledges to Investigate

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it would cooperate fully with police in their enquiries.

"We welcome the investigation by Wiltshire Police which we wholeheartedly believe will clear Sir Edward's name," the foundation said in a statement.

Heath was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 1965 and served as prime minister between 1970 to 1974. A vocal critic of Margaret Thatcher, he remained in the House of Commons until 2001.

Britain is still reeling from a series of sex scandals involving high-profile celebrities and politicians sparked by decades-old claims made against late BBC entertainer Jimmy Savile, who is alleged to have abused corpses and hospital patients.

[The Brain]

About 6 feet by the look of things.

[jimmy olsen]

About 6 feet by the look of things.

Not what I meant.

[Brazen]

In the language of the time, Ted Heath was a "confirmed bachelor".

[jimmy olsen]

In the language of the time, Ted Heath was a "confirmed bachelor".

Yeah, but that just meant gay didn't it?

[Brazen]

In the language of the time, Ted Heath was a "confirmed bachelor".

Yeah, but that just meant gay didn't it?

Not necessarily.

"Anyone with any sense who was in trouble would come to the whips and tell them the truth, and say now, "I'm in a jam, can you help?" It might be debt, it might be a scandal involving small boys, or any kind of scandal which a member seemed likely to be mixed up in, they'd come and ask if we could help. And if we could, we did. We would do everything we can because we would store up brownie points. That sounds a pretty nasty reason but one of the reasons is, if we can get a chap out of trouble, he'll do as we ask forever more."

The words of former Tory MP Tim Fortescue. Who was appointed a government whip in 1970, by one Edward Heath...

http://order-order.com/2015/08/04/ted-heaths-whip-boasts-of-paedo-cover-up/#/bf1roo487P2f4Q

[jimmy olsen]

In the language of the time, Ted Heath was a "confirmed bachelor".

Yeah, but that just meant gay didn't it?

Not necessarily.

"Anyone with any sense who was in trouble would come to the whips and tell them the truth, and say now, "I'm in a jam, can you help?" It might be debt, it might be a scandal involving small boys, or any kind of scandal which a member seemed likely to be mixed up in, they'd come and ask if we could help. And if we could, we did. We would do everything we can because we would store up brownie points. That sounds a pretty nasty reason but one of the reasons is, if we can get a chap out of trouble, he'll do as we ask forever more."

The words of former Tory MP Tim Fortescue. Who was appointed a government whip in 1970, by one Edward Heath...

http://order-order.com/2015/08/04/ted-heaths-whip-boasts-of-paedo-cover-up/#/bf1roo487P2f4Q

It may have been used that way, but if the average person on the street heard that so and so was a confirmed bachelor, wouldn't they assume it was a euphamism for homosexual?

[Warspite]

Dan Hodges fires off a broadside:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11784844/The-Edward-Heath-witch-hunt-is-the-stuff-of-Hitlers-dreams.html

Wiltshire police are on the trail of a sex abuser. He is a tall, well-built man, white, approximately 45 years old, and answers to the name of "Edward" or "Teddy" or "The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom". Anyone with any information on his whereabouts at any point from the early 1960s to the late 1990s should contact their special hotline. All calls will be treated in confidence. Then leaked to the national media.

When's it going to end? Or at least pause. Just a single, brief moment of introspection. Is that really too much to ask? To question if this really is who we are. Or who we want to be.

Edward Heath. Former prime minister. Former leader of the opposition. Mentioned in dispatches during the Normandy campaign. All gone now. In the blink of an eye. Or the blink of a press release. His entire life – a lifetime of public service – completely erased. And replaced with a putrid, fetid, sordid stain.

That is literally all it takes now – in Britain, in 2015. One letter. One phone call. One meeting. And it's done.

It's time it was undone. I'm bored of listening to the howl of the mob. Watching sun glinting off the scythes, and being told this represents "justice".

Yes, I know. My first thought is supposed to be for "the victims". But I don't think there are any victims of Edward Heath. I think the man who has come forward to the claim he was abused by Ted Heath when he was 12 is mistaken. I think the former brothel keeper – who has a conviction for perverting the course of justice – and who is one of the other main "witnesses" against him is lying, or mistaken as well.

And if evidence comes forward to the contrary, then I'll acknowledge I was wrong. You see, that was how it used to work. We'd wait for the evidence, we'd test the evidence, and then we'd reach our verdict. Back before Jimmy Savile. Before we hit the moral panic button. Before police forces thought "We're going to be accused of a cover up here. Let's press release everything. Make it look like we're getting it all out there. Even better, let's put out an appeal for witnesses. No one can accuse us of a whitewash then".

Though Wiltshire police have gone further. They've invited people to call a special hotline with information. "Sir Edward Heath has been named in relation to offences concerning children. He lived in Salisbury for many years and we would like to hear from anyone who has any relevant information that may assist us in our enquiries or anyone who believes they may have been a victim".

There is something fascinating about being able to sit back and watch this form of collective national psychosis playing out around you.
Have you got that? Edward Heath lived in Salisbury. He's accused of abusing children. Children live in Salisbury. Do you live in Salisbury? Did you see Edward Heath? Did you seen any children in the vicinity of Edward Heath? Did you see anything suspicious? If you did, get in touch.

This is real. This isn't Brass Eye. I'm not an expert in police procedure. But if you make a national appeal for people to ring a special hotline with information about a former prime minister abusing children, what do you think's going to happen?

Of course it's not just Wiltshire police who are on the case. A lot of attention has focused on the news Jersey police have also opened an investigation. According to a statement issued by the force on Wednesday, "Sir Edward Heath does feature as part of Operation Whistle, currently investigating historical allegations of abuse in Jersey".

This is significant, because Jersey police have extensive experience of investigations of this kind. In 2008, as part of their probe into alleged abuse at the Haut de la Garenne children's home, its officers announced they had discovered "human remains". A child's skull had been found, and according to the detective in charge of the case up to half a dozen additional bodies were potentially buried at the site. "There could be six, but it could be higher than that", the senior investigating officer told reporters.

The "human remains" turned out to be mostly from animals. The two human bone fragments that were discovered dated back to the 1400s. "Shallow graves", uncovered by detectives were identified as having being dug for the TV detective series "Bergerac". The "child's skull" was, in fact, a coconut.

But never fear, Scotland Yard on the case as well. This is the same Scotland Yard who came so close to bringing serial rapist Leon Brittan to book. Or it was widely reported they were close to brining him to book. What got slightly less coverage was this report from the Independent on Sunday which revealed that they had exonerated Lord Brittan but reopened their investigation after political pressure was brought to bear on them. A CPS report into the allegation stated: "On the victim's evidence alone there is no evidence that the suspect had asked the victim for sex, that he had demanded sex, that he had forced the victim to [lie] on the bed, neither did he ask her to remove her clothing".

If you make a national appeal for people to ring a hotline with information about a former PM abusing children, what do you think's going to happen?

But then who need evidence? Here's a story currently running on the LBC news website. Under the headline "Ted Heath Child Sex Victims Appeal By NSPCC" – not "alleged" sex victims you'll note, the facts are already established here – is the following sentence:

"Sir Edward, who was prime minister from 1970 to 1974, never married and there has been speculation about his personal life over the years."

Edward Heath never got married, you see. And he was a keen sailor. Come on. Is there anything else we really need to know?
If it wasn't so horrific, all this would be entertaining. Or maybe not entertaining, but illuminating. There is something fascinating about actually being able to sit back and watch all this. To see this form of collective national psychosis playing out around you.

But it is horrific. Terrifying, actually. This is the second time in my life when I've thought to myself "I can see how it happens". Where a McCarthy, or even a Hitler, could come from. Here, on my own doorstep.

The first time was that week after Diana died. But that was only for a week. This is weekly now. Brittan. Heath. We still have the Janner show trial to come.

One phone call. One letter. One press release. That's all it takes now.

[Martinus]

Unless he is misrepresenting the facts, can't disagree with his points.

[The Brain]

In the language of the time, Ted Heath was a "confirmed bachelor".

Yeah, but that just meant gay didn't it?

Not necessarily.

"Anyone with any sense who was in trouble would come to the whips and tell them the truth, and say now, "I'm in a jam, can you help?" It might be debt, it might be a scandal involving small boys, or any kind of scandal which a member seemed likely to be mixed up in, they'd come and ask if we could help. And if we could, we did. We would do everything we can because we would store up brownie points. That sounds a pretty nasty reason but one of the reasons is, if we can get a chap out of trouble, he'll do as we ask forever more."

The words of former Tory MP Tim Fortescue. Who was appointed a government whip in 1970, by one Edward Heath...

http://order-order.com/2015/08/04/ted-heaths-whip-boasts-of-paedo-cover-up/#/bf1roo487P2f4Q

It may have been used that way, but if the average person on the street heard that so and so was a confirmed bachelor, wouldn't they assume it was a euphamism for homosexual?

No one on the street would ever make the connection homosexual - pedophile.

[Ideologue]

Unless he is misrepresenting the facts, can't disagree with his points.

If only we had the technology to acquire the evidence necessary to separate the innocent from the guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.