Child sexual abuse judge Dame Lowell Goddard denies saying Britain has so many paedophiles ‘because it has so many Asian men’
Home Secretary claimed Justice Goddard resigned because she was ‘lonely’ and because the probe proved ‘too much’
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Your support makes all the difference.Dame Lowell Goddard, who resigned as chairwoman of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in August, has denied making racist remarks while head of the inquiry.
According to The Times, Justice Goddard said Britain had so many paedophiles “because it has so many Asian men”.
In a statement issued on Friday, Justice Goddard said the claims were false.
“I await the advice of my London lawyers on these articles, which I have only just seen. I confirm my absolute rejection of this attack,” she said.
“I am confident that in New Zealand my known reputation from my work over many years will provide its own refutation of these falsities.
“I will be making no further statement and will not engage with those conducting this vicious campaign.”
She said her lawyers had informed The Times of “the falsity of the matters raised, and the malicious background to them”.
Unnamed sources in The Times also alleged Justice Goddard treated staff with contempt and flew into rages, a claim she also denied.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd claimed Justice Goddard resigned from her position because she was “lonely” and becuase the probe proved “too much”.
Appearing in front of the home affairs select committee in Westminster, Ms Rudd cited a letter from Dame Lowell Goddard and said: “I think she went ... because she found it too much for her, and although she could contribute to it and there was some good work done in the past year, ultimately she found it too lonely.
“She was a long way from home and she decided to step down,” the Home Secretary added.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “The independent inquiry has a vital role to play in exposing the failure of public bodies and other major organisations to prevent child sexual abuse.
“We owe it to victims and survivors to get to the truth and the independent inquiry is continuing its vital work.”
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