Police in 'hounding innocent' row launch safeguards

Humberside Police came under fire earlier this year over its handling of Operation Aldgate, looking into allegations from 1965 to 1992 at St William's Children's Home in Market Weighton, near Driffield.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) identified a series of failings during the operation, including an apparent "assumption of guilt" towards some of those under investigation. It was understandable,the watchdog said, if they felt "hounded…particularly if they are innocent".

Former school principal James Carragher and chaplain Anthony McCallen had already been convicted of sexual abuse when Aldgate was launched in April 2001, following complaints by former residents.

The IPCC ruled there were failings in the original investigation. Some lines of inquiry had not been followed up properly and there had been a lack of staff and resources.

The way it was handled led to 120 complaints by nine people under investigation. The IPCC found 25 complaints were substantiated, six partly substantiated and 80 not substantiated. A further nine could not be proved or disproved.

Humberside Chief Constable Tim Hollis will report on the findings to police authority members tomorrow.

A nine-point strategy has now been introduced on how such cases should be investigated in the future. A review of guidance for senior investigating officers investigating such cases had also recommended a number of amendments.

However, Mr Hollis has underlined some of the problems had been historical and nine years had passed which "had the effect of diminishing the relevance of the lessons learned".

Humberside Police had then lacked the present Major Investigation Teams – leaving senior investigating officers to juggle divisional duties with major inquiries with minimal resources.

Despite the difficulties, Carragher was jailed again in 2004 – this time for 14 years for abusing boys between 1968 and 1992.

Mr Hollis stressed the vast majority of complaints were not substantiated, and only two officers needed to be given advice.

"If an Operation Aldgate was to be commenced today Humberside Police is confident that such failings would not now be repeated," he concluded.