Lord Janner’s son, a barrister, has been denied a special witness role at the Jay inquiry into child sex abuse despite the fact that a woman accused of being a fantasist has been granted the status.
Daniel Janner QC applied for core participant status for the Westminster investigation conducted as part of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA). His father was accused of sex abuse while he was an MP and a peer. Since his death in 2015, all civil actions against his estate have collapsed.
This month it was revealed that Esther Baker, who made unsubstantiated allegations that she was raped as a child by former Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, had been granted the special status. Hemming has accused her of being a fantasist and given evidence to the police, calling for her to be prosecuted for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Baker denies being a fantasist.
This weekend it was revealed that a 68-year-old man who is a serial paedophile accused of fabricating a rape claim against the late Sir Edward Heath is also applying for the special status, which allows participants to see confidential documents and possibly claim expenses. They can also suggest questions to be put to witnesses giving evidence.
Janner said the refusal of his application was a “shocking decision which is wrong, hurtful and wholly unfair”. It is understood his request was rejected on the grounds that there was a separate investigation into Lord Janner, and his son had special status in that strand.
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He will make a new demand at a hearing on Wednesday, when he will have 10 minutes to address the IICSA panel. “It is a farce that Baker gets the right to make an opening and closing speech and suggest lines of cross-examination, and I have been shut out,” he said.
Another abuse survivor, who was also turned down for the special status, said: “Where’s the validity in any inquiry into child abuse where real victims are denied access, advocacy or support by IICSA, but . . . fantasists get full access? How is that just?”