Police child abuse inquiries: Operation Yewtree to Operation Midland

Sir Edward Heath child abuse allegations reaction – video

A wide range of child abuse inquiries are open in the UK with at least five police forces investigating allegations made against the late former prime minister, Sir Edward Heath.

Revelations about the former Tory leader highlight the sheer volume and scope of child abuse inquiries across the UK – a labyrinthine world of disturbing allegations spanning decades, county borders and professions.

Here is a breakdown of the key inquiries, their names and their remits.

Operation Hydrant – the supervisor

Operation Hydrant is not an investigation into child abuse but the name given to a coordination hub, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), to oversee the huge array of inquiries into allegations of child sexual abuse within institutions or by people of public prominence. In May, the Hydrant team released figures that revealed police across the country are investigating more than 1,400 men – including 261 high-profile individuals – over allegations of historical child abuse.

Operation Fairbank – the umbrella inquiry

Operation Fairbank is the Metropolitan police’s umbrella inquiry into child sex abuse claims involving high-profile figures including politicians. Starting in 2012 as a scoping exercise to establish evidence for formal investigation, it went on to spawn a number of other inquiries, including Operations Fernbridge and Midland.

Operation Fernbridge – Grafton Close and Elm Guest House

Operation Fernbridge was launched by the Met in February 2013 to examine allegations of abuse in the early 1980s at Grafton Close children’s home in west London, and at Elm Guest House in Barnes, south-west London. Two men were charged in connection with Grafton Close, including Catholic priest Father Anthony McSweeney, who was found guilty and jailed for three years. The other man – John Stingemore – was found dead at his home in St-Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex. Upon McSweeney’s sentencing, Fernbridge was closed and investigations into Elm Guest House were taken over by Operation Athabasca.

The late Cyril Smith, former MP for Rochdale, was said to have visited the Elm Guest House in Barnes, south-west London. Photograph: Malcolm Gilson/Rex

Operation Athabasca – Elm Guest House

Set up in March after McSweeney’s sentencing, this new inquiry took on allegations about a paedophile ring centred on Elm Guest House during the late 1970s and 80s. Cyril Smith, the late Liberal MP, accused since his death in 2010 of being an inveterate child abuser, was said to visit the property. Allegations into Smith are being investigated by Greater Manchester police. At least three MPs were reported to have been questioned in 1982 after a police raid on the guest house. The owners of Elm Guest House, Haroon and Carole Kasir, were subsequently convicted of running a brothel. The property was later turned into flats. Police are still appealing for information.

Operation Midland – Dolphin Square

Operation Midland was set up by the Met to examine claims that boys were systematically abused by a paedophile ring made up of men from politics, the military and law enforcement agencies at locations across southern England, including Dolphin Square estate in Pimlico, south-west London, a plush residential development popular with politicians. It is also examining claims that three boys were murdered. It is understood one of the alleged murders relates to the death of Vishal Mehrotra, who was killed in 1981 at the age of eight. His father, retired magistrate Vishambar Mehrotra, said he was contacted by a male prostitute at the time who said the boy may have been abducted and murdered by “highly placed” paedophiles at Elm Guest House. It has been reported that claims against Heath are being investigated under this strand of inquiry.

Operation Yewtree – Jimmy Savile and others

Operation Yewtree is a Met investigation launched in October 2012 into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against disgraced television presenter Jimmy Savile and others. A report into Savile’s alleged abuse was released by the Met in January 2013, which highlighted a litany of failures by police and prosecutors to bring him to justice. Publicist Max Clifford, entertainer Rolf Harris and DJ Dave Lee Travis are among high-profile figures unconnected to Savile to be convicted for sex crimes under the operation. Separate inquiries into Savile’s abuse were set up by the NHS, Department for Education and BBC.

Operation Jaguar – Sir Cyril Smith

Greater Manchester police took overall command of the investigation into allegations of sexual abuse made against the late Sir Cyril Smith, who died in 2010. He was the subject of allegations and investigations over decades during his career, first as a prominent local councillor in Rochdale and later as the town’s Liberal MP. He was never prosecuted. It has been claimed he abused teenagers at Cambridge House, a privately run “hostel for working boys” in Rochdale, and raped boys at Knowl View residential school in the town.

Other inquiries

Among other inquiries are Operation Cayacos, which is looking at claims of a child abuse network linked to convicted paedophile Peter Righton, a founding member of the Paedophile Information Exchange, which campaigned to make sex between adults and children legal. Operation Pallial, is a National Crime Agency investigation into abuse at care homes in north Wales. Operation Garford, investigating allegations centred on Kesgrave Hall school from the 1970s to the 90s.

The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry is investigating the abuse of children in Jersey’s care system over many years, including at the former children’s home Haut de la Garenne. It is not expected to publish its findings until late 201