[Omah]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...-liberal-party

The former Liberal party leader, Lord Steel, heard rumours that Cyril Smith used to deliver punishment beatings to boys, but the party did not investigate the claims.

Steel said a lack of substantive complaints meant the party leadership did not look into Smith's involvement in corporal punishment, which was understood to have taken place when he was a councillor in Rochdale.

The admission will add to widening concern at institutional responses to allegations of abuse against the MP who died in 2010. This week Greater Manchester police acknowledged that "young boys were victims of physical and sexual abuse committed by Smith". Three files of evidence were passed to prosecutors but no charges were brought. The first 80-page file on Smith compiled in 1970 contained allegations from eight men that they were abused as teenagers by Smith on the pretexts of either a medical examination or punishment for misbehaviour.

"All I can recall was rumour surrounding his previous behaviour relating to corporal punishment of boys, but we received no substantive complaints on which to make inquiries," Steel told the Guardian. "The suggestion related to the 60s when Smith was not an MP and not even a member of our party. He had reportedly been investigated at the time, so what reason would I have had to try an investigation?"

Corporal punishment was banned in state-funded schools in 1987. In the late 1960s and early 70s when Smith was a prominent and powerful figure in Rochdale it has been reported that some people in the town used to send their unruly children to Smith's home on Emma Street to be chastised.

"chastised" .....

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-20645148

A search of historical files has found allegations of obscene publications and bribery relating to Sir Cyril Smith, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

The CPS started the search following an admission that the late Liberal MP for Rochdale should have been prosecuted for abusing young boys in the 1960s.

A spokesman said two police referrals had been found in a search of the Director of Public Prosecutions' files.

No charges were ever brought against Sir Cyril, who died in 2010.

The CPS spokesman said a search of documents from the DPP's office, which was responsible for bringing prosecutions until 1986, had found one referral made in the early 1970s and one from the early 1980s.

He said the former was "over an allegation or allegations relating to indecent obscene publications" and the latter "over a claim or claims relating to the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889".

The 1889 act, which was repealed when the Bribery Act 2010 came into effect, outlawed the bribery of a member, officer or a servant of a public body.

The spokesman said the CPS could not determine the extent of either of the allegations and what, if any, action was taken.

Are we talking about "backhanders" .....

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-22603419

Ten people are being investigated over historical allegations of sexual abuse at a residential school, where it was claimed Sir Cyril Smith abused boys.

Greater Manchester Police said it was investigating the suspects over claims of sexual or physical abuse carried out at the Knowl View school in Rochdale.

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk said he had asked police to re-examine the case after "a number of victims came to see me and raise concerns".

He urged anyone involved in abuse to confess "so that Rochdale and everyone who has been abused can move on".

Mr Danczuk said: "There are few crimes as bad as robbing children of their childhood. We can't underestimate the impact abuse has on their lives."