§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with respect to Operation Rose in Northumbria, how many individuals were(a) suspected of child abuse and (b) arrested in connection with charges of child abuse; of the people arrested, how many were subsequently released; how many of the suspects were charged; of the people charged, how many people had the charges against them dropped before going to court; how many individuals were taken to court who pleaded not guilty to the allegations made against them; how many people were taken to court who pleaded guilty to the allegations made against them; how many cases were discontinued and what were the reasons for discontinuance; how many complaints were received and how many suspects and complainants were identified; of the cases sent to the CPS, how many were (i) accepted, (ii) referred for further information and (iii) rejected; what the total cost associated with Operation Rose was, including direct costs of salaries and expenses of officers involved; what defence costs were awarded against the Crown; and who or which organisation has reviewed the way in which Operation Rose was conducted. [49833]
§ Mr. Denham197 individuals were regarded by the police as possible suspects in the course of Operation Rose, of whom 60 were arrested in connection with charges of child abuse. 28 of these 60 were subsequently released and 32 charged. A further 26 cases were sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for review, but no charges were laid in any of these cases. The CPS reviewed each case before charges were brought, with the result that no case in which charges had been brought was discontinued. 31 of those charged pleaded not guilty to the allegations made against them, and one pleaded guilty. Five of these 31 were convicted. In total 530 complaints were received in the course of the operation; all complainants were identified.
The total cost associated with Operation Rose, including direct costs of salaries and expenses of officers involved, amounted to £5 million. No defence costs were awarded against the Crown—costs were awarded out of central funds. All the agencies involved in Operation Rose—police, CPS, social services and health—have since reviewed the processes involved in the investigation.