An inquiry into historic child sex abuse cases in North Wales care homes has uncovered evidence of “systematic and serious sexual and physical abuse”.
Investigators have recorded 140 allegations relating to alleged offences across 18 care homes between 1963 and 1992, since the launch of Operation Pallial last November.
The report on the first phase of the inquiry said 76 new complainants had come forward.
Complainants named a total of 84 people as suspects, 75 of whom are male and nine female — though some of these may no longer be alive.
The alleged victims were boys and girls aged between seven and 19.
“These are serious allegations that will be thoroughly investigated,” said Detective Superintendent Ian Mulcahey, of Merseyside Police, the senior investigating officer for the inquiry.
“Many have provided graphic accounts of abuse, in some cases of very serious criminality.”
He said detectives would focus their ongoing inquiries on individuals who pose the greatest risk to the public as a matter of priority.
The operation is being run in conjunction with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), overseen by the National Crime Agency.
Soca said one man had been arrested in connection with the investigation. He was detained in Ipswich, Suffolk, last Tuesday on suspicion of “a number of serious sexual offences against a number of individuals” and was bailed pending further inquiries.
Operation Pallial was set up under the orders of Home Secretary Theresa May to re-examine claims of sex crimes and review the original police investigations into abuse at North Wales care homes.
North Wales Chief Constable Mark Polin said it was “never too late” to report abuse and urged any other victims to come forward.
“People who commit serious and sexual offences should live with the knowledge that we will always examine new information and evidence and seek to bring them to justice for their crimes,” he said.
“Offenders should quite rightly have to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.”
North Wales child abuse inquiry records 140 claims
