VIP abuse inquiry officer could face misconduct proceedings

The officer who led a disastrous Metropolitan Police investigation of VIP sex abuse allegations could face gross misconduct proceedings.

Steve Rodhouse ran an operation that probed false claims that MPs and generals abused and murdered children.

He has been served with a formal notice by the police watchdog over allegedly using inaccurate or dishonest words in 2016.

Mr Rodhouse is said to be co-operating fully with the watchdog.

Operation Midland was largely based on claims made by Carl Beech, who was jailed in 2019 for making false allegations.

Beech was sentenced to 18 years in prison for 12 counts of perverting the course of justice, one of fraud, and for several child sexual offences.

The Metropolitan Police spent £2.5m on Operation Midland.

Beech was brought to justice after a damning review by retired high court judge Sir Richard Henriques recommended he be investigated by another police force.

But the BBC revealed two other complainants who made false claims were not referred by the Met for investigation, despite Sir Richard recommending they should be.

In 2016, then Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse told Sir Richard in a private presentation that he was "satisfied" the other two complainants had "told deliberate lies".

However, when Operation Midland closed months earlier, Scotland Yard issued a public statement which said detectives had "not found evidence to prove that they were knowingly misled by a complainant".

The new gross misconduct notice, issued by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), relates to the contrast between those private and public positions.

An IOPC spokesperson said: "The notice relates to potential breaches of police professional standards relating to honesty and integrity regarding comments made to the media in March 2016 and comments subsequently made to Sir Richard Henriques in August 2016."

The notice follows a complaint by former MP Harvey Proctor, who was one of those falsely accused of murder and abuse.

Mr Proctor has asked to meet the Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and said he wanted to be "assured that the investigation of Rodhouse will be thorough and comprehensive".

A Met Police statement said: "We are aware the IOPC has served a former senior MPS officer with a gross misconduct notice as part of its ongoing investigation into this complaint.

"The serving of a notice of investigation does not mean that disciplinary proceedings will necessarily follow."

Mr Rodhouse is now deputy head of the National Crime Agency.

A spokesman for the agency said: "The officer remains on duty while cooperating fully with the IOPC.'

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