UNITED KINGDOM
Evening Standard

BY MARTIN BENTHAM

A new investigation into claims that paedophiles exploited young people at children’s homes in a London borough over decades was announced today by the judge heading the Government’s inquiry into child sex abuse.

Justice Lowell Goddard said a “thorough and searching examination” into claims of historical abuse of children in care in Lambeth — already being looked into by Scotland Yard — would form one of 12 separate investigations to be carried out as part of her five- year inquiry.

Other investigations will focus on claims of child abuse within the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, and alleged paedophile rings operated by MPs, civil servants and other people “of public prominence” connected to Westminster.

There will also be an inquiry into whether the armed forces, the Foreign Office and the British Council failed to prevent staff from exploiting children abroad.