‘Operation Midland’ probes allegations by ‘Nick’ against former British prime minister
By Mark Conrad and Mark Watts | 4 August 2015
Scotland Yard has for nearly 10 months been investigating allegations of child sex abuse by former British prime minister Sir Edward Heath, Exaro reveals today.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Service started to investigate Heath after a key witness, an abuse survivor, asked Exaro to arrange a meeting with them.
Nick told detectives at the meeting, attended by our reporter, that Heath was one of several prominent men who sexually abused him.
That meeting led the Met to set up ‘Operation Midland’ which is investigating historical allegations of child sex abuse by prominent men and the alleged murder of three boys. Nick did not link Heath to any murder.
Nick told Exaro today: “As a child, they hurt me and others with impunity and never in a million years did I think that it would come to the stage where I have spoken out, reported what happened to the police and now to see the names of some of my abusers coming into the public domain.
“For me personally, it is a relief to see finally Edward Heath’s name mentioned publicly. As a core member of the group of men that hurt me and others, it is important that his name is now out there, and I hope that it will encourage others to come forward.”
He added: “Yes, Heath might be dead, but others are not. Any information that people have will help fit the jigsaw pieces together, so it is really important that people come forward to the police.”
Regarded by police as a credible witness, Nick first told Exaro in May last year that Heath had sexually abused him.
Exaro has been working with Nick on publishing his chilling account of sexual abuse by Heath. His claim is that Heath raped him on multiple occasions at several venues.
Exaro has made the disclosure today that Heath features in Scotland Yard’s most sensitive ever operation after the former British prime minister was named yesterday by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in connection with a separate investigation into allegations against him of child sex abuse.
In a statement yesterday, the IPCC said: “This is an investigation into allegations that Wiltshire Police did not pursue a criminal prosecution when a person threatened to expose that Sir Edward Heath may have been involved in offences concerning children.
“In addition to this allegation, the IPCC will examine whether Wiltshire Police subsequently took any steps to investigate these claims.
“The allegations were referred to the IPCC by Wiltshire Police following allegations made by a retired senior officer.”
Superintendent Sean Memory of Wiltshire Police, who is leading the investigation for the force, said: “The allegation is that a trial was due to take place in the 1990’s and information was received in that trial that Sir Ted Heath was involved in the abuse of children, and the allegation is from the result of that information that the trial never took place.
“A retired senior police officer has come forward towards the end of 2014 indicating that they were aware of this information.
“So between then and March this year, we have worked tirelessly to establish the facts of that allegation to a point where in March this year, we have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is leading the investigation into whether we did in fact mishandle that case in the 1990’s.”
Wiltshire Police said in a further statement today that it had received “a number of calls” following an appeal for information yesterday in relation to Heath.
In addition, Jersey Police said that it was also investigating Heath. It said in a statement: “Sir Edward Heath does feature as part of ‘Operation Whistle’, currently investigating historical allegations of abuse in Jersey.”
And Kent Police said that it had today received an allegation of a sexual assault by Heath in the 1960’s.
Related Stories: Child sex abuse, ‘Fernbridge’ and ‘Fairbank’: Exaro story thread
