‘Pulped’ Child Abuse Report Found

Officials from Flintshire have said they have uncovered ‘several copies’ of the 1996 Jillings report – of which all copies were believed to have been pulped.

Rumours had circulated about existing copies with Channel 4 reporting they believed ‘a copy’ existed. Other rumours included copies in council archives as well as the House of Commons library.

In theory this document should be made public via Freedom of Information law, however councils are taking legal advice on this.

Flintshire’s chief executive Colin Everett said “We have now established that several copies of the report are in existence in local authority archives. The report and any supporting documents held in archive are being made available to North Wales Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA). The Jillings report was disclosed to the subsequent Waterhouse inquiry and we would expect the NCA to have access to it through recovery of the papers from the inquiry, held in archive by government departments.

“North Wales local authorities are taking collective and independent legal advice on whether the report can or should be disclosed under the Freedom of Information legislation, whether in full or in part. The National Crime Agency is being consulted, as any public disclosure cannot compromise or prejudice the new investigation.”

The statement was issued on behalf of the six councils which succeeded Clwyd and the old Gwynedd council.