Met police open criminal inquiry into David Walliams after new complaints

The Metropolitan Police has opened a criminal investigation into David Walliams, according to the BBC, the Guardian and the Independent. The force said it had received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences in recent days. Walliams, 55, denies any wrongdoing.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact police, and the Met has published a reference number and a phone line for doing so.

What the Met has said

In a statement issued on Friday, the Met said the allegations involved a man now in his 50s and that those who had come forward were being supported by specialist officers. It stressed that the complaints are separate from those reported by ITN and the Guardian. Detectives are, however, also proactively reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is any evidence of offences.

The Independent reported that the force has not said how many alleged offences have been reported, what the accusations are, or when and where the incidents are alleged to have happened.

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, whose team is leading the inquiry, encouraged anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward, no matter when it happened. He acknowledged that reporting allegations of this kind can be daunting and said specialist officers can offer support, answer questions and guide people through the process.

How the story reached this point

The Guardian and ITV News published an investigation on Tuesday in which multiple women accused Walliams of using his fame and position to pursue young women and teenagers for sex. The Independent reported that the Little Britain star's lawyers had gone to the High Court to try to stop publication, and the Guardian said a court rejected that attempt.

After the reports appeared, the Independent said Walliams was dropped by his literary agency, Independent Talent Group, and the BBC began removing his programmes, including Little Britain, from iPlayer. The BBC described him as a comedian and children's author who rose to fame in the early 2000s and later became a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent.

What Walliams says

According to the Guardian, Walliams wrote to the journalists working on the investigation before publication. He said that, looking back, he realised he had at times behaved thoughtlessly towards people he had casual sexual relationships with and had not always taken their feelings properly into account, which he regretted.

He accepted that a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, but said abusing that power was something he never did. He added that he is “not a sexual predator” and has not broken the law, and said he was devastated that some women he met 10 to 20 years ago have expressed hurt or anger towards him.

The Independent reported that Walliams strongly denied to the publications that he had sexual contact with one of the women, and rejected allegations of criminal activity and of grooming young women. His lawyers also said a separate suggestion of grooming was false and had caused him significant distress.

What this means for anyone with information

The Met says people can report information by calling 101 and quoting the reference 4900/10NOV26. They can also contact the force's complex sexual offences unit on 0207 175 2738.

The force said it wants to hear from anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence, however long ago it took place, and that specialist officers are available to support people through the process.

Where the investigation stands

The investigation is at an early stage. No charges have been announced, and the allegations remain allegations. The Met has not said whether it has spoken to Walliams, and no further dates have been given.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian, The Independent, BBC News

Cover photo: Colin McLaughlin / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

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