Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/376810
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 2014 News 7 London Met investigate historical claims of VIP paedophilia ring CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Now liv- ing in retirement in Malta, Min- ster first claimed he had never had heard of the scandal, when first approached by the investigative online journal Exaro last year. However, investigations show that he was briefed by one of his employees, Terry Earland, head of children's services, while doc- umentation shows that Minster oddly pulled the file of a 14-year- old boy in care who had knowledge of child abuse at the time. Earland claims he received com- plaints of sexual abuse from chil- dren and referred them to both police and council staff, but no investigation took place. Richmond Council records show that the abuse was reported 30 years ago by a boy in care, and his story was corroborated by a friend, but council staff and police decid- ed no further action was required. Minster twice called up the file on this boy, even after he had left care, an action Earland considered unusual. Minster was Director of the So- cial Services Department of the London Borough of Richmond-up- on-Thames from 1975 to 1984 and was the boss of John Stingemore, the head of the home, who was ar- rested by the police last year. In 2013, the Metropolitan Police Services' paedophile unit made a number of arrests under 'Opera- tion Fernbridge', which is investi- gating the alleged child abuse. Yet, Minster had claimed that he never heard of any allegations of sex abuse at the Elm Guest House despite a police raid in 1982 and the prosecution of the owners a year later. The Metropolitan Police Serv- ices' paedophile unit has evidence that boys from Grafton Close and two other children's homes run by the Richmond council were abused at the guest house during Minster's nine years as head of the borough's social services. In comments to Exaro, Minster said: "I have never heard of them," adding that he only got to know of the news on the internet. "There was never any…there were a couple of child abuse cases, violence in the families and what have you," he told the online jour- nal, adding that his staff never ap- proached him with concerns over sexual abuse of children housed in council-run homes. "This is totally new. 100%, never, never discussed. The whole issue of the guest house was alien until I saw it on the internet last night," Minster said in February 2013. Initial investigations started in late 2012 and a full criminal in- vestigation, Operation Fernbridge, was launched in February 2013. Prominent people who attended parties at Elm Guest House are reported to have included the Lib- eral MP Cyril Smith and the Soviet spy Anthony Blunt. According to The Independent, other alleged visitors to the guest- house include the former British diplomat, Sir Peter Hayman, as well as a Sinn Féin politician, a Labour MP, several Conservative politicians, judges and pop stars. In addition to eight guest rooms, facilities at Elm Guest House in- cluded a sauna, solarium and video studio. The council terminated Minster's employment in October 1984 and he claims the reasons for his dis- missal were entirely political. He is believed to have received a £10,000 pay-off and a generous pension and took up a new posi- tion in Glasgow training social workers. Following Minster's dismissal, the Richmond council secretly paid compensation to a person who was in care at Grafton Lodge, and who was abused at Elm Guest House. Louis Minster, who lives in Naxxar, refused to be drawn into detail over why he had ignored reports of sex abuse claims from a children's home run by the Richmond council, where he was director of social services Prominent people who attended parties at Elm Guest House are reported to have included the Liberal MP Cyril Smith (pictured)