Peer To Be Prosecuted For Child Sex Abuse

Labour peer Lord Janner will face a trial of facts over child sex abuse allegations, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed.

It overturns the severely criticised decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, not to prosecute the 86-year-old because his dementia made him unfit to face trial.

The review increases pressure on Ms Saunders to resign over her decision in April not to pursue charges against Lord Janner for 22 sexual abuse claims dating back to the 1960s and spanning 30 years.

The DPP was criticised for failing to consider a trial of facts, where a defendant is found unfit to stand trial but the evidence in the case is heard and the court decides whether they carried out the acts they have been accused of.

The victims applied for a review of the decision which agreed that Lord Janner would be found unfit to plead and that a trial of facts would probably end in an absolute discharge - neither a punishment not conviction.

But it concluded that it was still "in the public interest to bring proceedings before the court".

The first hearing is scheduled for 7 August, at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The family of Lord Janner have always insisted he is innocent of any of the allegations made against him.

Ms Saunders said: "I have always said that in my view this was an extremely difficult and borderline case because of the strong arguments on both sides.

"I have also always emphasised my concern for the complainants in this case. I understood their need to be heard, which is why I contacted Justice Goddard to ensure that they could give evidence as part of the public inquiry.

"However, the review has concluded that this forum, albeit a public one, cannot substitute for the adjudication of the courts. I accept the outcome of the review and will now be bringing this prosecution to allow for that adjudication to happen."

The CPS also confirmed a draft review of decisions it reached regarding allegations against Lord Janner in 1991, 2002 and 2007 had concluded those decisions had been wrong and that the handling of the cases by both police and prosecutors was "unsatisfactory".

Ms Saunders said: "It is a matter of real regret that prosecutions weren't brought by the police and CPS in the past.

"We have brought forward this decision as public speculation on this review has brought damaging and unacceptable uncertainty for the complainants in this case. We have now done what we can to inform the complainants of the outcome of the review and I have offered to meet each of them should they wish."

Leicester Police were highly critical of Ms Saunders' decision not to prosecute the peer following the force's more recent two-year investigation of allegations.

Specialist abuse lawyer Liz Dux, who represents many of Lord Janner's alleged victims, said: "My clients are delighted by this decision.

"This is a vindication of our efforts to challenge the DPP's original decision not to charge Janner, which was clearly not in the interest of justice.

"Our clients have waited long enough for their very serious allegations to be brought before a court."

An independent inquiry into historic child sex abuse being led by Justice Lowell Goddard is also due to hear evidence from the complainants.