British lord, MP dies while facing child sex abuse trial
A former member of British elite upper House of Lords, charged with a string of child sex abuse offenses, has been reported dead due to ailments and old age without facing trial.
The 87-year-old parliamentarian Grenville Janner died at his home on Saturday, according to his family, after a judge ruled earlier this month that he was unfit to enter a plea on the serious child abuse charges since he had been suffering from “severe dementia,” AFP reported.
Janner, who was a well-known member of UK’s Jewish community, served in the British army before becoming a lawyer and then a Labor Party parliamentarian.
"This is devastating news for my clients," said attorney Liz Dux, who represents six of Janner's alleged victims.
According to the report, a rare so-called "trial of the facts" was set to take place in April following the judge’s ruling. His death, however, means the trial will no longer go forward.
"They have waited so long to see this case come before the courts. To be denied justice at the final hurdle is deeply frustrating,” Dux added, insisting that “so many opportunities to bring this matter to justice whilst he was well were missed.”
"All they have ever wanted is to give their evidence in court and have these very serious allegations tested and to be believed."
Janner is one of several high-profile British personalities to face historic sex and child abuse charges in the UK after BBC presenter Jimmy Savile was exposed as a serial pedophile following his death in 2011, prompting many of his victims to speak out.
Janner represented central English city of Leicester in the British parliament between 1970 and 1997.
He was accused of 22 child abuse offences against nine alleged victims between the 1960s and the 1980s, eight of whom were 16 years old or younger at the time.
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