"Many Photos" - Police must end 'victim culture' to prevent more reputations being ruined, Lord Macdonald says

The peer has criticised the approach taken by ex-Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe (pictured) 

'Victim culture' has ruined reputations and police must route it out to stop more innocents being branded sex abusers, a former prosecution chief said today.

Lord Macdonald slammed a tendency to automatically believe accusers, branding the approach 'absolute rubbish'.

He believes that this treats complainants as victims without any evidence and that this is what led to the 'madness' of the VIP sex ring probe Carl Beech's false allegations sparked.

The peer says that law enforcement is 'blinkered' due to an out-of-control 'fad' that causes miscarriages of justice, the Evening Standard reports, as he slammed the leadership of ex-Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. 

It comes after 51-year-old Beech invented claims of sex abuse that led the Metropolitan Police to spend £2.5million investigating fake child murders, rape and torture that the fraud said were committed by Westminster politicians. 

Backers of the probe included Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson, who faced calls to resign yesterday when Beech was convicted of perverting the course of justice and fraud.

The fantasist - himself a paedophile - wrongly accused Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Lord Brittan and Harvey Proctor. 

In 2014 his outlandish claims were described as 'credible and true' by the Met's Det Supt Kenny McDonald. 

Following yesterday's verdict, Lord Macdonald said of the Met's investigation: 'How can you investigate a crime professionally if you start from a position of believing what you are told? It’s absolute rubbish.'

Carl Beech was convicted of perverting the course of justice yesterday and faces jail

Despite outrage over the investigation, the Independent Office for Police Conduct yesterday cleared three Met Police officers. 

The force says that it has reformed after the review of wrongdoing and that ex-commissioner Sit Bernard Hogan-Howe has apologised to those most hurt by the accusations in person. 

Sir Bernard, who left the Met in 2016 with an estimated £5million pension pot, was made a life peer in 2017 and has since taken up a number of consultancy posts for various firms. 

His House of Lords register of interests shows that, as well as his £1million home in Dorset, he has a property in the Swiss region of Valais, beloved of skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer.  

Following Beech's conviction yesterday, former Tory MP Harvey Proctor said Sir Bernard had allowed the Met to become 'lapdogs' of people with an agenda to push, such as Labour's Tom Watson.  

The son of Lord Bramall, whose Normandy hero father had his life turned upside down, insisted Sir Bernard indicated that he didn't believe his father was involved in the paedophile ring before officers raided his home, but police were under pressure after the Jimmy Savile scandal. The former police chief denies this.  

It is not the first time Sir Bernard has faced criticism over his handling over the handling of sex cases during his time in charge of London's police force.

Last year, DJ Paul Gambaccini accused the force and Sir Bernard of 'attempted to destroy my life and and end my career' after he spent a year on bail before a case was dropped as part of Operation Yewtree.

Mr Gambaccini told The Sunday Times he couldn't 'can't imagine a person who more deserves to be behind bars than Bernard Hogan-Howe'.

He added: 'If Bernard Hogan-Howe were to tell me personally that the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, I will look to the west.'

 

  

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News Photo Police must end 'victim culture' to prevent more reputations being ruined, Lord Macdonald says 
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