Greville Janner, 87, ‘unfit to stand trial’ for a string of alleged sex offences

Greville Janner is unfit to stand trial for a string of sex offences against boys dating back 50 years because of “deteriorating and irreversible” dementia, a High Court judge has ruled.

Mr Justice Openshaw made his decision based on medical reports which found the 87-year-old dementia sufferer could now barely recognise his own family or recall anything about his parliamentary career.

At the Old Bailey, the judge summarised the reports from four specialists but said there was “no need for personal humiliation over his condition”.

Even though the public had been “unjustifiably sceptical” over the case, he said they still had a “right to know” how he came to his decision about Janner.

Janner is charged with 22 sexual offences dating back to the 1960s against nine alleged victims, the majority of whom were 16 or under at the time.

There are 15 counts of indecent assault and seven counts of a separate sexual offence said to have taken place in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Twenty-one of the charges relate to children who were 16 or under.

A further hearing was set for March 7 ahead of a planned trial of facts in April.