A woman accused of fabricating a series of high-profile child sexual abuse allegations against a former MP, a late peer, and a chief constable who later died has appeared in court.
Not Guilty Pleas Entered at Magistrates' Court
Esther Baker, 43, from West Derby in Liverpool, faced Liverpool Magistrates' Court today charged with four counts of perverting the course of justice. The charges relate to allegations she made a decade ago, which sparked police investigations and were raised in Parliament. Her solicitor, David Woods, stated she would be pleading not guilty to all charges, asserting that her accusations are truthful.
The case has now been sent to Liverpool Crown Court for a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 11. District Judge Timothy Boswell told Baker the matters were too serious for the magistrates' court, granting her unconditional bail until then.
Decade-Long Saga of Serious Allegations
The charges against Baker span from December 2014 to September 2020. The first count alleges she claimed, on multiple occasions, to be a victim of sexual offences by groups of males in locations including Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, private houses, and Dolphin Square in London.
The three other counts specifically accuse her of falsely identifying three men: former Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, the late Labour peer Roy Jenkins, and former Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole. Baker had waived her right to anonymity in a 2015 television interview, detailing graphic claims of being raped by Mr Hemming in a Staffordshire forest between the ages of six and eleven, and of uniformed officers standing guard during assaults by high-profile individuals.
Investigation, Aftermath, and Tragic Consequences
Staffordshire Police investigated Baker's claims, questioning John Hemming under caution in 2015. The investigation was dropped two years later due to a lack of evidence, and no charges were ever brought against him. Mr Hemming later successfully sued for libel over comments made by Baker's supporters on social media.
The case emerged in the wake of Scotland Yard's flawed Operation Midland. Baker's allegations were supported at the time by Labour MPs, including Jess Phillips, and she was later granted special status at the national independent child sex abuse inquiry.
Two of the men she accused are now deceased. Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, a former Chancellor and Home Secretary, died in 2003. Simon Cole, the former Chief Constable, took his own life in March 2022 at the age of 55, just twelve days after retiring. An inquest heard he had been struggling with anxiety.
Malcolm McHaffie of the CPS Special Crime Division emphasised last week that the decision to prosecute someone over sexual abuse allegations is not taken lightly. He stated the CPS believes there is sufficient evidence to prove the allegations were false and maliciously made, and that a prosecution is in the public interest.
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