Lord Janner’s family: ‘We’re winning back dad’s reputation’, as accuser jailed

Lord Greville Janner’s family have said they are “winning back our father’s reputation” after one of his child sex abuse accusers was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and of fraud.

It follows the ten-week trial of Carl Beech, 51, a former paediatric nurse, who alleged that the late Lord Janner was part of a VIP paedophile ring that sexually abused, tortured and murdered young boys in the 1970s and 80s.

Beech, himself a paedophile, said Janner raped him at the members-only Carlton Club in London when he was a child, despite the club being for Conservatives and Janner being a Labour MP.

“The last six years for the whole family have been a nightmare,” said Janner’s son Daniel, a QC who recently co-founded the pressure group FAIR [Falsely Accused Individuals for Reform] together with Sir Cliff Richard.

“It’s hard to underestimate just how appalling these allegations of the most serious kind have been in terms of their effect. Carl Beech manipulated for money and lied about my late father and others, lies of the most horrendous kind. I mean, we’re talking about rape and torture!”

Beech’s accusations against Janner and other senior figures including MPs, peers, spy bosses and retired military generals, set in motion a £2.5 million police investigation, a series of house raids and a welter of civil claims.

“His lies were reflected in those of others who rode the same bandwagon of post-Savile frenzy,” said Janner. “They all had criminal records, like Carl Beech, who has been convicted of fraud. There were nine issued claims and they all collapsed.”

“We now feel like we’re winning back my late father’s reputation. Anyone who knew him knew that they were lies. I have no doubt that there is antisemitism behind it.”

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), led by Professor Alexis Jay, is due to consider anonymous testimony against Janner in February next year.

“I wrote to IICSA today asking whether Carl Beech is actually one of the anonymous core participants in relation to my late father,” said Janner. “They did not deny it. I think they’ve decided he’s guilty.”