Carl Beech case: End victim culture, former top prosecutor says

World News

Police must end the “victim culture” to prevent more reputations being ruined through false claims after the “madness” of the VIP sex-ring probe, a former top prosecutor said today.

Lord Macdonald said it was “absolute rubbish” for police to automatically believe people making allegations of crimes and to view them as victims before any offence was proved. He added that the practice was a “fad” that had got out of control and led to criminal investigations being “blinkered” and unbalanced.

Miscarriages of justice, including in rape and other sex cases, were one potential result, as well as the wrecking of innocent people’s lives through false claims.

His comments follow the conviction yesterday of the paedophile Carl Beech, 51, whose invented claims led Scotland Yard to mount a £2.5 million investigation into fictitious allegations of child murder, rape and torture by a Westminster-based sex ring.

Senior figures wrongly accused during the probe — whose high-profile cheerleaders were led by Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson — included a retired armed forces chief, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, the former home secretary Lord Brittan and the ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/carl-beech-latest-police-must-end-victim-culture-to-prevent-more-reputations-being-ruined-former-top-a4196341.html