UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Sandra Laville and Owen Bowcott
Wednesday 14 December 2016
The former senior counsel on the national child abuse inquiry has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an independent investigation by his chambers. Ben Emmerson QC, who quit the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) in September, was named in a BBC Newsnight programme after an inquiry worker revealed details of an alleged sexual assault in a lift.
The abuse inquiry, under the chairmanship of Prof Alexis Jay, has repeatedly refused to release any further information about Emmerson’s departure. His law chambers, Matrix, set up an independent inquiry into the allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment. It was led by the former director of public prosecutions, Sir David Calvert-Smith.
Matrix said on Wednesday: “After examining the evidence, Sir David submitted his final report to the management committee earlier this week. In his report, Sir David concluded ‘without hesitation’ that Mr Emmerson had not committed any act of sexual assault or sexual harassment.”
Welcoming the inquiry’s findings, Emmerson said: “This has been a difficult period and I am naturally very pleased that an independent senior judge has now confirmed that the allegations against me were always unfounded. I hope that the inquiry can now be left to get on with its important work, free from unnecessary distractions.”
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