Investigators into claims of past abuse at 18 children's homes
in Wales on Monday said they had uncovered evidence of "serious criminal
offences" carried out by 84 suspects between 1963 and 1992.
Seventy-six new claimants have come forward to
Operation Pallial investigators, making a total of 140 allegations of
offences against boys and girls aged between seven and 19.
The independent investigation, set up by interior
minister Theresa May, said claimants had identified a total of 84
suspects -- 75 male and nine female.
"Offenders quite rightly should have to look over
their shoulders for the rest of their lives," said North Wales Chief
Constable Mark Polin on publishing the report into the first phase of
the probe.
"If you believe the passage of time will reduce
the resolve of Operation Pallial or any police force to identify people
who are still alive and to bring them to justice, you are sorely
mistaken."
The report added: "Complainants have provided
accounts of serious criminal offences committed against young and
vulnerable people by adults charged with their care."
May launched the probe after the BBC aired a
child-abuse investigation in the wake of the scandal surrounding former
presenter Jimmy Savile, wrongly implicating former politician Alistair
McAlpine in the affair.
The broadcaster ended up paying out £185,000 ($287,000, 219,000 euros) in damages to McAlpine.
The false allegations came as the BBC was under
intense scrutiny over its earlier decision to spike a report about
widespread claims against Savile, plunging the world's largest
broadcaster into one of the worst crises in its history.
Keith Bristow, director-general of the National
Crime Agency, is reviewing the original police investigations, dating
back to the 1970s and 1980s.
An inquiry was previously led by former High Court judge Ronald Waterhouse in the 1990s and reported its findings in 2000.
Following the inquiry, eight people were prosecuted and seven convicted.
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