British Politicians Pedophile Scandal: UK To Investigate Longtime Alleged Cover-Up Of Sexual Abuse

Spurred by the recent revelations of sex abuse committed by late entertainer Jimmy Savile and television personality Rolf Harris, the U.K.’s Home Office is now looking into years of sexual abuse of children allegedly committed by influential politicians and covered up for three decades.

Home Secretary Theresa May announced Monday that Peter Wanless, head of the charity National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, will review claims of past sex abuse in which politicians were accused of both committing such crimes and using their positions of power to cover them up.

"Our priority must be the prosecution of the people behind these disgusting crimes," she said, according to the BBC.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he wanted to get to the bottom of the allegations.

"We are going to leave no stone unturned to find out the truth about what happened," Cameron said, according to Reuters. "Three things need to happen: Robust inquiries that get to truth; police investigations that pursue the guilty and find out what has happened; and proper lessons learned so we make sure these things cannot happen again,"

One of May’s predecessors, former Home Secretary Leon Brittan, denied that he improperly handled a dossier on sex abuse given to him by late Member of Parliament Geoffrey Dickens in the 1980s that went missing.

"It is true that I have been questioned by the police about a serious allegation made against me. This allegation is wholly without foundation,” Lord Brittan said in a statement Monday, according to Politics Home. “In addition I would like to put on record that I welcome the fact that there is now to be an independent review to look at the missing files belonging to the Home Office.”

Dickens compiled allegations of sex abuse against powerful politicians and threatened to expose eight such people as pedophiles when the files disappeared.

There were renewed calls to investigate the matter following recent reports that found Savile used his celebrity to gain access to hospitals to sexually abuse children, women, men and even dead bodies for more than 50 years.

Harris was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for sexually assaulting girls as young as seven years old between 1968 and 1986.