Metropolitan Police: VIP abuse inquiry officer faces gross misconduct investigation

The officer who led a disastrous Scotland Yard investigation into false VIP sex abuse allegations has a case to answer for gross misconduct, the police watchdog has said.

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

He currently works as deputy head of the National Crime Agency.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) looked at if he used inaccurate or dishonest words in 2016.

While working for the Met, he oversaw Operation Midland, which 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 charges of perverting the course of justice, one of fraud, and for several child sexual offences.

He was only 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 to the media which said detectives had "not found evidence to prove that they were knowingly misled by a complainant".

The investigation by the IOPC related to the contrast between Mr Rodhouse's private and public positions.

Scotland Yard said "we will seek to respond as fully and comprehensively as possible when we receive the final directions and recommendations from the IOPC".

The force added that, in January this year, it arranged for West Midlands Police to consider all relevant material relating to the two complainants and advise on further investigation.

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

Responding to the update, he said: "At last a senior police officer of the Metropolitan Police is being held to account for gross misconduct".

He added: "As cracks start to appear in the police cover-up, it now time to hold a full public inquiry into Operation Midland and the Metropolitan Police's conduct."

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said Mr Rodhouse "may have breached police professional standards of behaviour relating to honesty and integrity regarding comments made to the media about Operation Midland in March 2016 and comments subsequently made to Sir Richard Henriques in August 2016."

The IOPC also found that, by never following Sir Richard's original recommendation, the service provided by the Met was "unacceptable".

The Met had conducted several internal reviews which all said no investigation was needed, but the IOPC found those reviews were "flawed, did not consider all of the evidence and their rationales were not sound."

The watchdog has recommended the Met apologise to the individuals affected.

Because Mr Rodhouse left the Met more than 12 months before the IOPC investigation began, the watchdog said it would now enter into a consultation period regarding a disciplinary hearing.

The National Crime Agency said it would engage with the IOPC "fully on this matter".