Local News

Former British Prime Minister ‘child sex abuse suspect’

The list of allegations against the late Sir Edward Heath include the alleged rape of a boy under 16 and nine indecent assaults on minors, with one as young as 10.
Sir Edward Heath

An explosive police report has revealed that former British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath stands accused of numerous counts of sexual abuse.

If he were still alive, he would have been interviewed under caution by police over the allegations which include the alleged rape of a boy under 16 and nine indecent assaults on minors, with one as young as 10.

The 109 page report is the result of an extensive two-year investigation by Wiltshire police codenamed Operation Conifer.

Police have been investigating historic child sex abuse allegations between 1956 and 1992 for over two years.

Post continues after video

Loading the player...

The lengthy operation investigated 42 allegations of sexual abuse, with police concluding that the evidence gathered in relation to seven of the alleged victims would have warranted an official police interview with Sir Edward.

Chief constable Mike Veale said the findings “signals a watershed moment for people and victims who have suggested or implied there has been a state cover-up for some senior figures who may have been involved in child sexual abuse”.

However, he also said “presumption of innocence was enshrined in the law,” adding that police had reached no conclusion of guilt.

Sir Edward Heath (top right) served as British PM from 1970-1974.

Sir Edward Heath served as Britain’s Prime Minister from 1970-1974. He died in 2005, aged 89.

His godson, Lincoln Seligman has refuted the claims:

“I don’t believe any of the allegations from what I know and have known of the man for fifty years,” Mr Seligman said.

“When I grew up I had a closer relationship with him, I knew him as a man of great integrity and not so idiotic as to go and jeopardise his career by indulging in anything so dangerous and pointless”.

Related stories