Metropolitan Police sex abuse corruption inquiries expanded
Fourteen further investigations have been launched into alleged police corruption relating to historical child sex abuse claims, the police watchdog has said.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is now overseeing 43 such inquiries, up from 29 announced last year. All concern the Metropolitan Police. They relate to allegations of wrongdoing in cases involving prominent individuals or police officers. The IPCC said the claims being looked at related to "child sex offences dating from the 1970s to the 2000s". It is overseeing probes by the Met's Professional Standards Department. A IPCC spokesman said: "They all concern allegations of suppressing evidence, hindering or halting investigations, or covering up alleged offences because of the involvement of prominent individuals or police officers." Many of the investigations stem from allegations made by retired Met Police officers. The IPCC said it was also managing one investigation into Essex Police, while there is another, independent investigation being carried out into Sussex Police - making a total of 45. One of the 43 Met inquiries relates to the actions of police investigating the case of Vishal Mehrotra, an eight-year-old boy who went missing on the day of the Royal Wedding in 1981. His remains were found six months later in Sussex.