In reporting how Moors murderer Ian Brady was allowed by prison authorities to mix with “vulnerable borstal boys” on a hospital wing at Wormwood Scrubs prison in the 1970s (Report, 27 June), even after it was alleged he had sexually assaulted one of them, the article added that Brady “received support from Lord Longford”. It did not specify what that support was, but the clear implication was that he was somehow covering up or excusing Brady’s actions. This is a travesty of Longford’s role, which was to undertake a 14-year struggle to have Brady transferred from the general prison to Ashworth special hospital, a secure mental institution suitable for dealing with the challenges Brady posed. That struggle was successful in 1985.
It was the Home Office’s failure to listen to Longford sooner that led to the abuse your report refers to. Longford records that Brady, soon after arriving at Ashworth, “not only cut off communication [with me] but, according to one newspaper, referred to me as a ‘Home Office lackey’”. I believe you should set the record straight on this matter.
Peter Stanford
Director, the Longford Trust
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition
