Labour Lord Won’t Be Prosecuted For Child Sex Crimes – Because He’s Too Old

Prosecutors have said today that they will not prosecute Lord Janner, former Labour MP for Leicester West, for 22 alleged historic child sex offences, because of his age and poor health.

Leicestershire Police spent nine months compiling a “credible” case against the politician and writer, 86, who strongly denies the allegations. This follows botched investigations in 1991, 2002 and 2007.

Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “It is a matter of deep regret that the decisions in relation to the previous investigations were as they were…”

“…The CPS has concluded that Lord (Greville) Janner should not be prosecuted because of the severity of his dementia which means he is not fit to take part in any proceedings.”

Police have interviewed 20 men who claim he abused them in their youth. The alleged crimes span the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Pete Saunders, a spokesman for The National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: “There is enough evidence to proceed with this case and that Alison Saunders can say it is not in the public interest to proceed is an outrage.

“I am not saying it is in the public interest to send a very old man to prison, but surely it is in the public interest to expose the evidence and give victims the chance to be heard. The message here is that if you are old or important you can still get away with it.”

Leicestershire Police says the CPS decision is the “wrong one” and they are “exploring what possible legal avenues there may be to challenge” the decision by the CPS, the Daily Mail reports.

Leicestershire Police said in a statement: “During the course of the investigation, more than 2,000 individuals were seen and 442 statements taken. Detectives pursued more than 2,700 lines of enquiry, and seized/created nearly 600 exhibits including cine film and videos.”

Lord Janner was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009 and requires round-the-clock care.

In 1999, the BBC reported on the discovery that an alleged Nazi war criminal, Konrad Kalejs, was living in a nursing home in Leicestershire. Lord Janner is quoted in the piece as calling for his arrest and deportation, despite his elderly condition.