The London Metropolitan Police, and Scotland Yard (the United Kingdom’s national investigative service, similar to the FBI), allegedly covered up allegations of child sexual abuse dating back decades, because the alleged perpetrators were police and government officials, The BBC is reporting.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) intends to investigate 14 allegations of corruption within the agencies. Those allegations involve complaints that the agencies either ignored, suppressed evidence, or otherwise covered up cases of sexual abuse of children dating from the 1970’s until 2005.

Some of the more damning allegations, according to Sky News, include:

London police officers sexually abused a young boy and carried out surveillance on him.

An abuse victim’s account of the crime against him/her was changed to omit the name of a high-ranking politician.

An investigation into abuse allegations at an apartment building where several politicians live was pulled because police officers were “too near prominent people.”

A document found at the home of a known pedophile, linking a pedophile ring to a number of prominent politicians, was ignored.

At least one allegation of covered-up sex abuse involves a murder. Outlook India reports that eight-year-old boy Vishal Mehrotra was walking home through southwest London when he was abducted not far from a building where several politicians were known to operate a pedophile ring involving young boys. His bones were found in a field six months later.

Vishal’s father, Vishambar Mehrotra, believes that the young boy was murdered by someone connected to the sex abuse ring.

The murders of at least three other boys, between the ages of six and seventeen, are also believed to be connected to another pedophile ring that included politicians.

IPCC deputy chairwoman Sarah Green promised a thorough investigation.

“Allegations of this nature are of grave concern and I would like to reassure people of our absolute commitment to ensuring that the investigations are thorough and robust.”

The London Metropolitan Police’s own Directorate of Professional Standards (roughly equivalent to a U.S. police department’s Internal Affairs division) had been investigating the allegations, but turned the investigation over to the IPCC, according to a statement.

“The MPS [Metropolitan Police] recognised the severity of the allegations, and the importance of understanding whether or not our officers had in the past acted inappropriately, and therefore voluntarily referred the 16 separate allegations to the IPCC.”

The Metropolitan Police has said that it will cooperate fully into all allegations of sex abuse and cover-up within the police force.

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