Former North Wales Police Superintendent Gordon Anglesea named in child abuse review
A redacted report originally published last year into an inquiry on child abuse in North Wales care homes has now named former North Wales Police Gordon Anglesea.
Over 600 redactions were made in Lady Justice Macur’s report, some concerned the former North Wales Police superintendent, Gordon Anglesea.
The Macur report was published in March 2016 following a review of the Waterhouse inquiry which was set up to look at claims of sexual abuse in care homes in the former Gwynedd and Clwyd county council areas.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said;
“Amongst other reasons, the Report was redacted to avoid prejudicing ongoing and upcoming criminal prosecutions and trials.
Most of the redactions in this category concerned the former North Wales Police superintendent, Gordon Anglesea.”
Following his criminal trial at Mold Crown Court, on 4 October Gordon Anglesea was sentenced at Mold Crown Court to twelve years in prison for an indecent assault against one boy and three indecent assaults against another boy.
On 15 December 2016 Gordon Anglesea died in HMP Rye Hill.
“In light of Gordon Anglesea’s death there is no reason for his name to continue to be redacted, except where there is any risk that victims, witness or other individuals might be identified.
I have today therefore laid a revised version of the Macur Review Report with references to Gordon Anglesea reinstated except where an ongoing risk has been identified. The other redactions in the Report remain.” Said Mr Cairns.
When Lady Justice Macur published her two-year review into the 2000 Waterhouse inquiry she concluded there was “no reason” to undermine the findings of the Waterhouse inquiry.
Sir Ronald Waterhouse’s inquiry looked into historical child abuse in care in the former Gwynedd and Clwyd council areas between between 1974 and 1996.
It found there had been “appalling mistreatment” of children over 20 years but nothing pointed to abuse by prominent public figures.
However, concerns were raised it had uncovered only a fraction of the abuse.
An independent review was ordered by then-Justice Secretary Chris Grayling in 2012 after former-Tory treasurer Lord McAlpine was wrongly implicated in alleged abuse by BBC Two’s Newsnight programme.
At the same time Operation Pallial, an independent National Crime Agency investigation, was charged with looking into new allegations and reviewing the historical police investigations.
To date 143 suspects have been identified, 23 have been arrested, 18 have been charged 39 have been interviewed under caution following voluntary attendance, and 41 suspects are believed to have died.
Anglesea was found to have abused one boy while working as a police Inspector at an attendance centre near Wrexham. The second victim was sexually abused at a private address while Anglesea was off duty.
The second victim was sexually abused at a private address while Anglesea was off duty.
At the time of his sentencing Roy McComb, NCA Deputy Director for Specialist Investigations, said:
“Gordon Anglesea abused children who should have been safe in his presence and caused lasting damage that only his victims can truly know and understand.
“They have shared just some of that impact with the court during the trial. I believe the sentence of 12 years imposed by this court today reflects the serious abuse of trust that Gordon Anglesea perpetrated in order to facilitate his sexual offending.
“I would like to thank all those who had the trust and confidence in the NCA to come forward with information or evidence in this case.”
Anglesea was arrested in December 2013 by officers working on Operation Pallial, an independent NCA investigation into recent allegations of past abuse in the care system in North Wales.
The investigation was requested by Mark Polin, Chief Constable of North Wales.
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