There are few worse things that can happen to a parent than losing a child and then discovering that he has been murdered, and possibly sexually abused beforehand, but that is the terrible nightmare Vishambar Mehrotra and his family live with, daily.

Vishambar’s son Vishal went missing when he was eight, in 1981, and eventually parts of his body were found in a woodland in West Sussex in February 1982, seven months after he vanished. There was no trace of his legs, pelvis or lower spine or of his outer clothes or Superman underwear. 

At the time, Mr Mehrotra received a call from a male prostitute who claimed Vishal may have been taken by paedophiles to the Elm Guest House near Barnes Common. The man mentioned that judges and politicians were abusing little boys there. Vishal’s father then tried, unsuccessfully, to get the police to investigate his son’s disappearance. No-one would help.

Convinced that there was a cover up at work, Mr Mehrotra continues to campaign for a full and proper investigation into his son’s death. As such, he offered to write a statement for the recent White Flowers Group conference inside Westminster which was instigated to pressure the government into prioritising child sexual abuse investigations, and it is very moving.

We add the statement below:

“For nearly 34 years I had relied completely upon the integrity and competence of the Police. Recently however in the last few months, several matters have come to light, not to mention a very highly redacted report of a review conducted by Sussex police in 2005 which has raised far more questions and in my submission, shed a bad light on the integrity and competence of the Police department.

I understand that my son’s investigation did not even deserve a case number.

Ever since recent revelations by other victims and in particular Tom Swarbrick of the LBC’s investigation, have opened my eyes to the possibility of serious misgivings/negligence by the Police.

There are strong suggestions and your eminent speakers today would probably concur with this view that cover ups have happened.

I thought I had emotionally come to terms with the loss of my son but now all I can do is have nightmares imagining the events that must have led to my son’s murder and the questions that keep bothering me, how, when and where, which nobody seems to know.

We seem to be now concentrating on the ‘why’ of this enquiry.

34 years in a very long time and many have passed on. I do not consider that I am going to get any relief of joy from the Police force or in fact the IPCC unless there is a re-investigation carried out.

I am now concerned more than ever that in light of yesterday’s revelations on the new that the number of Child Sexual Abuse cases which have come to light are alarming to say the least.

Parents beware The Police blame the Politicians for not giving them enough money and resources and the Politicians want to set up committees which I understand can take up to 8 years for any report to be submitted (I am talking about Lady Goddard).

Finally I feel extremely strongly that the time has come for the Met Police to form a small team of highly experienced investigating officers and forensic specialists to investigate all such heinous crimes committed and to ensure that the people who are committing such offences are caught quickly, lest this cancer be to allowed to fester and spread.

I wish you and the Whiteflowers Campaign Group all success and i believe you are doing an excellent job of bringing awareness to the public.

Last but not least I cannot understand why after 34 years the Police continue to be so secretive that even I am forbidden to see an unredacted report on my sons disappearance and murder.
Regards,
V Mehrotra”

With deep thanks to Terri Thatcher and Mr Mehrotra for allowing us to share this statement.