Abuse allegation accused wasn't in Guernsey

Friday 29 June 2018

Former UK Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath was not in Guernsey at the time of an alleged assault on a 15-year-old boy, which was included in Wiltshire police’s abuse inquiry report.

The new evidence was contained in a dossier revealed earlier this week, and the allegation, dating from 1967, was one of seven sex offence claims detectives concluded would have led to the former prime being interviewed under caution if he were still alive. Sir Edward died in 2005.

The allegation came to light after a 2015 appeal from Wiltshire police for victims to come forward. Police were subsequently told he indecently assaulted the boy in a public building in the island. But new evidence indicates Mr Heath did not travel to the island that year. A briefing before the UK House of Lords stated there was no evidence for the visit in his diaries, correspondence or Guernsey newspaper archives. 

Staff who worked for him at the time also do not recall such a visit and his diary was described as being "so crowded and fully documented", it was questionable whether a visit could have been fitted in.

The evidence defending the ex-Prime Minister was compiled by his supporters and the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation. 

It is the latest twist in the two-year £1.5m. inquiry, which was triggered by a claim of abuse which was found to be groundless – leading to calls for a judge-led inquiry into the handling of the allegations.