Justice Secretary, Scots law title staff to appear as witnesses in Hollie Greig abuse case as victims prepare to testify for arrested journalist

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will face court questions over Hollie Greig case. KENNY MACASKILL, Scotland’s Justice Secretary now faces being called as a witness in the forthcoming trial of journalist & broadcaster Robert Green, who was arrested last week in Aberdeen after attempting to attend a public protest in the centre of the city, concerning the now widely reported campaign of downs syndrome girl Hollie Greig, who has made consistent allegations since 2000 of an abuse ring in Aberdeen, of which she was but one of the victims. Ms Greig’s campaigners contend medical & Police reports support her claims, also pointing out Ms Greig received an as yet unexplained huge payout from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority while no one has yet been charged or prosecuted over the abuse.

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini – lawyers have ties to Justice Secretary MacAskill. Sources close to the case, which saw Mr Green arrested last Friday, his home in Cheshire, England, raided by Scottish Police officers, then later being bailed on Monday of this week at Stonehaven Sheriff Court to attend a full hearing at a later date, say Justice Secretary MacAskill will be quizzed on his relationship with the Glasgow law firm Levy McRae, who now appear to be representing several individuals including a Sheriff & Scotland’s top law officer, Lord Elish Angiolini, caught up in the mess. We revealed in earlier reports, Mr MacAskill has long standing ties to Levy McRae, where the Justice Secretary served his apprenticeship as a solicitor, and worked for some time.

Scots law title "The Firm" reported abuse story, sparked global campaign for Hollie. In another surprise move on the case, lawyers & staff from the well known Scots law publication “The Firm”, whose reports on Hollie Greig’s allegations back in November 2009 sparked the now global campaign to ‘secure justice’ for Ms Greig and other abuse victims, are also rumoured to be in line to be cited to give evidence in Mr Green’s pending trial and be questioned over the content of their now censored reports on the case, which were removed after legal threats from lawyers acting on behalf of the Lord Advocate and led to a string of apologies, which we covered in an earlier article HERE.

Robert Green – arrest was sparked after reports from law title which led to eventual arrest. Legal insiders said today it was likely Mr MacAskill would seek to avoid appearing in court, and may use ‘ministerial powers’ to avoid being cross examined by defence agents acting on behalf of the arrested journalist but there would probably be no escape for staff of law title “The Firm”, who are now being identified by many campaigners in the Hollie Greig case as being the publication which started the recent spate of articles, forum comments and online chatter over the abuse claims, said to involve members of the Scottish legal establishment who will now be forced to clear their names in the gaze of full publicity & open court.

One solicitor said late last night : “The Firm have got themselves in a sticky position. I understand its staff will be called as witnesses to be questioned over their reporting of Ms Greig’s claims, printed as far back as 17 November 2009.”

He continued : “The material published by the Firm in mid November appears to be the initial reports of recent weeks which led to the Lord Advocate’s personal involvement in the case, the spate of legal threats which saw coverage withdrawn from the Firm’s website, and the interdict gained on behalf of the Sheriff, all clearly resulting in Mr Green’s arrest and the current Grampian Police investigation. It is only proper the publication’s staff are called to account for their reporting which has now led to Mr Green’s current situation.”

This morning several additional campaigners associated with the Hollie Greig case, including website owners, pressure groups and online media outlets vowed to follow the same course of defence, if quizzed on their reporting of Ms Greig’s case. A source from a media organisation reporting on the case confirmed they too would be citing staff from “The Firm” to attend if any legal proceedings were instituted by the Lord Advocate.

It also can be revealed today “The Firm” ‘were intimidated’ by the Crown Office over a report they published, claiming a Police investigation took place of a Sheriff in connection with evidence on the Lockerbie case, after correspondence was submitted to Lothian & Borders Police by the SNP’s Christine Grahame. Lord Angiolini went onto praise the Sheriff said to be under investigation, and then disputed the events as reported by “The Firm” (better grab the info in those links while you all can – Ed)

Anne & Hollie Greig to support arrested journalist’s defence. It has also emerged that Hollie Greig herself, and her mother Anne, will support a defence of charges against Mr Green, support which could lead to damaging testimony in open court by Hollie and her mother, which may raise many questions as to why there have been no prosecutions in this long running case. Grampian Police and the Crown Office are now known to have been informed of allegations by Ms Greig of abuse dating back an amazing 10 years and recently the Crown Office issued varying statements as to why no one had been charged. Commentators on the case say the appearance of Ms Greig and her mother in court as witnesses, either in person or by video link from England, will prove an uncomfortable time for those who stand accused of the abuse, and may finally spark action on the Ms Greig’s allegations of serial abuse.

There are now growing calls for Grampian Police to interview the Lord Advocate, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, and staff from ‘The Firm’ over issues connected with the Mr Green’s arrest and the ongoing Grampian Police investigation. (so, a hot time for Scotland’s legal celebs in the spotlight, lets clear calendars ? – Ed)

Crown Office forces second apology over Aberdeen abuse claims as Lord Advocate's lawyers Levy & McRae threaten Scots media with defamation

Second apology from “The Firm” after legal threats. New developments in a widely reported abuse case where downs syndrome victim, Hollie Greig and her mother Anne have made consistent claims of abuse at the hands of an alleged paedophile ring in the Aberdeen area, initially reported to Grampian Police over ten years ago, have resulted in Scots legal publication “The Firm” being forced into a second apology clarification to the Lord Advocate over their report of 17 November 2009, which related to the identification of key legal figures connected with the claims made by Ms Greig, and a ‘timeline regarding a decision not to prosecute in the abuse case’, the details of which cannot be reported due to legal threats from the Crown Office itself.

The Firm said : “An article of 17 November reported that Anne Greig, mother of Hollie Greig – reportedly abused by an alleged paedophile ring said to include a serving Sheriff and a now deceased police officer – had called for an investigation into the role played by Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini, then a Regional Procurator Fiscal, in the decision not to prosecute.”

“We have been asked by the Lord Advocate to make clear the following: there was no allegation of a paedophile ring contained in the police report to the Procurator Fiscal at that time; that there was no allegation about a Sheriff or a policeman in the report; that the decision not to prosecute was made before the Lord Advocate took up post as Regional Procurator Fiscal and on the basis that there was insufficient evidence in law; and that she was unaware of the claim at the time and has never had any involvement in the case. We are happy to make the position clear and did not intend to suggest that she had acted in any way improperly.”

“At the time of publication, the specific details regarding the timeline of the decision not to prosecute, although requested, were not provided by the Crown Office. This information was supplied after publication. Having been furnished with the relevant information, we would like to apologise to the Lord Advocate for any distress that may have been caused.”

In breaking news on the story today, legal insiders have now confirmed that private law firms, among them Levy & McRae solicitors, acting on behalf of Elish Angiolini, the Lord Advocate have contacted bloggers and journalists, threatening legal action for defamation if information originally reported by “The Firm” on 17 November 2009, and reprinted around the web on various blogs and internet publications, was not removed immediately.

Scots Law online magazine “The Firm” censored abuse case report resulted in more legal threats to media. A legal insider speaking on the Hollie Greig case, who Levy & Mcrae allege had committed defamation by referring to the original article which “The Firm” published & later retracted over legal threats, said : “I received a very stern E-mail from Levy & McRae Solicitors and Notaries Public threatening legal action against me and the hosts of my blog unless I removed the content in question forthwith. At no time in my post did I suggest that the [censored] had been involved in the decision. I was relying on the information reported in The Firm (which has a relatively good reputation as far as I am aware).”

Another individual who claimed he had also received such a letter said he could not even discuss it as he had been officially gagged over the whole affair.

The Crown Office have so far refused to give any media statement, or even confirm that Levy & McRae were acting for the Lord Advocate, and Grampian Police have refused to reply to media enquiries on the case. Today however, it has been revealed by Aberdeen’s Press & Journal newspaper there is to be no prosecution over the abuse allegations by the local Procurator Fiscal.

While the decision not to prosecute will not surprise many, when it comes to claims involving members of Scotland's legal establishment, a less than clear picture is emerging of how the decision not to prosecute has been arrived at, with claims that key documents including initial reports made to Grampian Police in 2000 have now ‘vanished’ along with letters to & from local MSP Brian Adams to certain legal figures and even medical reports, now apparently missing despite Grampian Police’s recent re-investigation of the case.

Robert Green, the legal representative of the Greig family today said the Grampian Police investigation had been "far from thorough" and the campaign for a prosecution of identified individuals would go on.

It is widely believed there is much more to come on this case, noting while media outlets have been threatened with legal action, the victims have not. You can read our earlier reports on the case, HERE and HERE

The Press & Journal report :

Woman loses campaign to have abusers prosecuted

Crown office says there is not enough evidence to bring criminal proceedings

By Ryan Crighton

Published: 07/01/2010

A disabled woman who claims she was abused as a young child by an Aberdeen paedophile ring has been told there is not enough “credible” evidence to bring criminal proceedings against the people she accused.

Hollie Greig, who has Down’s Syndrome, claims she was abused for 14 years from the age of six, and has given police the names of some of the men she says assaulted her, including a senior police officer and a sheriff.

The 30-year-old and her mother, Anne, have been campaigning since 2000 – when police were first informed of the alleged abuse – for criminal proceedings to be taken against those she claims were involved.

The abuse is alleged to have taken place in Aberdeen, and Hollie and her mother claim to have made a statement at Bucksburn police station in July 2000 naming a senior police officer, who has since died, and a sheriff, who is still serving.

Hollie was re-interviewed by police last year, raising Mrs Greig’s hopes that charges would be brought against her daughter’s alleged attackers.

The Crown Office revealed last night that there was not enough reliable evidence to proceed with the case, however.

A spokesman said: “Historical allegations of sexual abuse made by a 30-year-old woman in Shropshire have been thoroughly investigated by Grampian Police.

“Crown Counsel have considered all the available information and decided that there is insufficient credible, reliable and admissible evidence to justify criminal proceedings in respect of these allegations.”

Despite no charges ever being brought, Hollie received £13,500 compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in April last year.

It is understood that followed evidence from a Grampian detective inspector, who described Hollie as “a truthful witness to the best of her ability and an entirely innocent victim”.

Mrs Greig, 58, said her daughter has experienced nightmares and panic attacks since she first told her mother about the alleged abuse.

Last night, her legal adviser, Robert Green, said Mrs Greig was “devastated” to hear no charges were being brought, but said her campaign for justice would continue.

Two officers from Grampian Police visited Hollie in September and spent three-and-a-half hours re-interviewing her at a special facility at Shrewsbury.

Hollie and her mother moved to Shropshire to escape the alleged abuse.

Mrs Greig claims two of the alleged abusers moved to Portugal a number of years ago and she went to her local police station at Shrewsbury to pass on that information when news broke of the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann.

Madeleine, who was three at the time, was kidnapped from her family’s holiday apartment at Praia da Luz in the Algarve in 2006. Police believe she was taken by a paedophile.

Lord Advocate Angiolini made complaint to Press Complaints Commission over abuse claims report by Scots law title “The Firm”

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini filed complaint with PCC over abuse claims publicity. ELISH ANGIOLINI, Scotland’s Lord Advocate is reported to have made a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over Scots legal publication “The Firm” who recently reported on the case of Hollie Greig, a downs syndrome girl who filed reports with Grampian Police over claims she, together with other victims, was abused by an Aberdeen based paedophile gang which the media have reported contains a serving Sheriff and other key figures in Scotland’s legal establishment, including Police officers.

Scots legal publication “The Firm” were censored by legal threats from Lord Advocate. The complaint to the Press Complaints Commission is being widely seen as a tactical move on the part of the Lord Advocate, to warn other media outlets & newspapers from re-printing the allegations made by Hollie & her mother, Anne. However, while the PCC complaint deals with allegations printed by “The Firm”, it gives no answers to medical evidence now disclosed confirming Ms Greig was abused, and neither does it account for a substantial payout to Hollie from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, despite there being no charges to-date against anyone identified as being part of the paedophile gang.

A source at the Press Complaints Commission said they could not release any documentation regarding the complaint, and confirmed the PCC was exempt from Freedom of Information legislation, making it difficult to establish exactly why the Lord Advocate felt it necessary to file a complaint with the PCC through her private lawyers, identified as Glasgow law firm Levy McRae rather than make the complaint in a personal capacity.

It transpired the complaint made by Ms Angiolini through her lawyers was settled in a matter of hours after “The Firm” printed a retraction & apology, which we covered HERE

Press Complaints Commission : Ms Elish Angiolini (Complainant) v The Firm (Publication)

Complainant Name: Ms Elish Angiolini

Clauses Noted: 1

Publication: The Firm

Complaint:

Ms Elish Angiolini, the Lord Advocate of Scotland, complained through Levy & McRae Solicitors of Glasgow that an online article relating to comments made by the mother of Hollie Greig was inaccurate and misleading.

Resolution:

The complaint was resolved when the magazine published the following text online:

An article of 17 November reported that Anne Greig, mother of Hollie Greig - reportedly abused by an alleged paedophile ring said to include a serving Sheriff and a now deceased police officer - had called for an investigation into the role played by Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini, then a Regional Procurator Fiscal, in the decision not to prosecute.

We have been asked by the Lord Advocate to make clear the following: there was no allegation of a paedophile ring contained in the police report to the Procurator Fiscal at that time; that there was no allegation about a Sheriff or a policeman in the report; that the decision not to prosecute was made before the Lord Advocate took up post as Regional Procurator Fiscal and on the basis that there was insufficient evidence in law; and that she was unaware of the claim at the time and has never had any involvement in the case. We are happy to make the position clear and did not intend to suggest that she had acted in any way improperly.

At the time of publication, the specific details regarding the timeline of the decision not to prosecute, although requested, were not provided by the Crown Office. This information was supplied after publication. Having been furnished with the relevant information, we would like to apologise to the Lord Advocate for any distress that may have been caused.

‘The Firm’ censored, now apologise over Lord Advocate 'allegations' in Hollie Greig abuse scandal as Police investigate Aberdeen Paedophile ring

Victims of abuse : Hollie Greig and her mother, Anne. LEGAL THREATS against newspapers and online media over the reporting of allegations of serious & prolonged abuse dating back over a decade, made by former Aberdeen resident Hollie Greig against senior legal figures allegedly involved in a Paedophile ring based in Aberdeen, yesterday, resulted in online investigations & reports into the scandal being pulled after intervention from the most senior levels of Scotland's legal establishment.

Scots legal publication "The Firm" was forced to drop abuse report involving big name legal figure

The allegations, made by Down's Syndrome sufferer Hollie Greig against several identified individuals, which, according to Aberdeen's Press & Journal newspaper include a Sheriff & senior Police Officer, also identified a big name in Scotland's legal establishment who is alleged to have been involved in the investigation, but who now cannot be identified for legal reasons due to a clamp placed on reporting the story by Scotland's Crown Office.

Our earlier coverage of the abuse story is here : Down’s syndrome victim identifies Sheriff & Police in Aberdeen Paedophile ring as Grampian Police investigate claims of historical abuse

Grampian Police are said to have interviewed Hollie Greig during September of this year as they pursued their investigation, although it transpires from media reports still available that Hollie and her mother claim to have made a statement at Bucksburn police station in July 2000 naming a senior police officer, who has since died, and a Sheriff who is still serving on the bench.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill refused to comment on Hollie Greig's case. While supporters & friends of Hollie's family have sent out pleas for help to many of Holyrood's MSPs, including Brian Adam who, documents now reveal was involved in assisting Hollie & her mother while they lived in Aberdeen, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill refused to make any comment on the case, instead referring media interest to Scotland's Crown Office. When enquiries were made of the Crown Office for their reaction to the abuse allegations and certain details, the Crown Office issued a release which contained a threat of defamation proceedings against anyone who quoted two reports published on 17 November in one of Scotland’s legal publications, “The Firm” magazine.

Today, “The Firm” retract their allegations against the Lord Advocate. In a breaking development today, “The Firm” have printed a full retraction of their claims, apologising to Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini. The Firm’s editor Steven Raeburn said:. “The firm never believed that the Lord Advocate acted in any way improperly in this matter, which is of significant public interest and was reported by us in good faith “However, there were details relating to the timeline of the decision not to prosecute the alleged abusers that were unclear, which we believed required explanation that was not immediately forthcoming from the Crown Office. “We have now been furnished with that information and accept unreservedly that she had no involvement with this matter – and apologise if she believed we were suggesting otherwise.”

Now, one might think this sudden secrecy on alleged sex offenders and paedophiles in Scotland seems a bit out of place, considering over the past few days we have seen yesterday’s big announcement by Central Scotland Police they had collected up to 2000 email addresses in an investigation into online predators targeting children for abuse and a recent statement by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill in the Scottish Parliament on sex offenders

Kenny MacAskill’s statement on Sex Offenders to Parliament, so far nothing on Hollie Greig …

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