The Metropolitan Police have announced today that ‘Operation Midland has now closed’
In October 2014, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) received allegations of a serious nature involving murder and sexual assault made by a single individual. The allegations concerned non-recent matters over a 10 year period (1975-1984) at a number of locations.
The credibility of the allegations was assessed after a process involving extended questioning of the complainant by specialist child protection detectives.
Following the assessment, an investigation was launched.
In November 2014, in response to media inquiries, it was publicly confirmed an investigation had been launched. In December 2014 a public appeal for information and witnesses was made, as is normal in serious investigations of this kind.
The allegations included the potential homicide of three boys. The complainant identified one of these as resembling a boy called Martin Allen who disappeared in November 1979.
The initial allegations were received from a single complainant. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidelines are clear that this should not preclude possible prosecution in a case involving an allegation of sexual assault, but the quality of evidence must be assessed. Many rape allegations are initially uncorroborated.
In the course of seeking evidence which could corroborate or indeed disprove the initial allegations, more individuals came forward to provide additional information to Operation Midland. They were interviewed in September 2015. The allegations included further information relating to the disappearance of Martin Allen. This generated new lines of inquiry which have had to be thoroughly investigated.
This evidence has also been assessed, but does not provide the corroboration that would lead to the MPS seeking to charge a suspect.
The statement from the Metropolitan Police website continues on with their reasoning behind this closure to the investigation blaming primarily lack of evidence.
The conclusion to Operation Midland is not unexpected, it continues in the vein of recent BBC broadcasts on the VIP Child Abuse claims and other media outlets. Events which occurred decades ago are never going to have substantial evidence, only verbal witness statements.
The bigger operation here is the cover up, which appears to of almost been accomplished.
Read the full statement here: MET Police, UK