Lord Janner inquiry: No criminal charges to be brought

Lord Janner, who was a Leicester MP, died in 2015

A former Leicestershire Police staff member will not face criminal charges over the way sex abuse claims against Lord Janner were handled.

The former Leicester MP was charged in 2015 with sexually abusing nine alleged victims but died that year before the case could go before a jury.

An inquiry into institutional failings was delayed because of the possible prosecution of the staff member.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) now starts in October.

A preliminary hearing is due to take place in February.

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Another preliminary hearing in September was told the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had passed a file concerning one individual to the CPS.

Nick Stanage, who represents 14 alleged victims, had called for no further delays, but IICSA chair Alexis Jay later decided she did not want the inquiry to risk "undermining those investigations".

On Thursday a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesperson said: "Having carefully reviewed all the available material, the legal test for a prosecution was not met."

Following that decision an IICSA spokeswoman said its preliminary hearing will take place next month as planned.

Prof Alexis Jay is leading the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)

Lord Janner was the subject of child sex abuse allegations dating back to 1955 during three police investigations in the 1990s and 2000s.

Following a fourth police inquiry, he was charged in 2015.

The peer, who had dementia and was ruled unfit to plead, died in the December of that year aged 87.

His death came before the trial of the facts could take place - in which a jury would have been asked to decide, without reaching a decision about guilt, if 22 alleged incidents of abuse had taken place.

Six of Lord Janner's accusers began the process of suing his estate for damages, but this civil case was discontinued in May 2017 after they were assured their claims would form part of a wide-reaching inquiry, and that the actions of the various agencies involved would be scrutinised in detail.

In a separate case, Lord Janner and other public figures were accused of abuse by Carl Beech, who has since been jailed for 18 years.

Lord Janner's family have always maintained his innocence.

After the CPS's decision not to prosecute the police staff member, the IOPC said it had compiled a report on whether any individuals investigated would have had to answer a case for misconduct.

But a spokesman said the findings would not be published until after the child sex abuse inquiry had concluded.

Leicestershire Police said it was aware of the CPS decision not to prosecute a former employee.

The Lord Janner case

• Lord Janner was the subject of child sex abuse allegations dating back to 1955.

• Three police investigations took place in the 1990s and 2000s, but no charges were brought.

• Following a fourth inquiry, he was charged in 2015 with offences against nine alleged victims. Police say 38 people accused him of abuse.

• The peer, who suffered from dementia, was ruled unfit to plead, and died aged 87 before a trial of the facts could take place.

• An independent inquiry in 2016 found that the three earlier investigations were "missed chances" to prosecute him.

• Nine of Lord Janner's accusers began the process of suing his estate for damages.

• Three dropped their cases in March 2017 and the remaining six two months later.

• The Lord Janner strand of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) is due to begin in October.