Lord Janner to be prosecuted over child abuse claims

A “trial of the facts”, where a jury hears evidence against an individual considered too ill for a full trial, is now expected to be held into the 22 offences allegedly committed in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

It follows an independent QC’s review into the case, which overturned the decision by Ms Saunders that the Labour peer should face no action over abuse allegations because he has Alzheimer’s.

It is a matter of real regret that prosecutions weren’t brought by the police and CPS in the past. Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions

The DPP said: “It is a matter of real regret that prosecutions weren’t brought by the police and CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) in the past.

“We have brought forward this decision as public speculation on this review has brought damaging and unacceptable uncertainty for the complainants in the case.”

‘Not in the public interest’

Ms Saunders ruled in April that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute the Labour peer because of his ill-health – although she acknowledged in a statement that there had been enough evidence to charge and prosecute Lord Janner in relation to allegations between 1969 and 1988.

The climbdown by the CPS follows a review by Treasury Counsel David Perry QC. The CPS said the review agreed that it was right to assume that Lord Janner would be found unfit to plead and said that the most likely outcome of the “trial of facts” would be an absolute discharge – which is neither punishment nor conviction.

Lord Janner, MP for Leicester West for 27 years, has always denied any wrongdoing and his family says the peer “is entirely innocent”.