Morris Fraser timeline

This timeline records key events in the case of Dr Roderick Morrison Fraser (Morris Fraser) of Royal Hospital Belfast, and the actions of the authorities in the case during the Northern Ireland troubles.

Dr Roderick Morrison Fraser, Source: [Child Abuse, Corruption, Collusion, Spinwatch]

1971

• (to 1973) Morris Fraser, Chief Psychiatric Registrar at Royal Hospital Belfast, cited in Irish, UK and US newspapers on effects of Troubles on vulnerable children.
• ( 27–30 August Fraser sexually assaults 13-year-old member of his Belfast boy scout troop, one of three boys Fraser brought to London, 10-year-old assaulted also by another adult. One more (un-named) adult and boy scout present in London apartment.
• Autumn (approx) RUC investigate complaint by boy’s mother against Fraser. Fraser remains in post. No media reports.

1972

• 17 May Fraser convicted at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court London after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting 13-year-old, bound over for three years, seven days. Ian Bell charged similarly of assaulting 10-year-old (bailed to 25 May, 26 July sittings, then to Crown Court). Fraser remains in medical post. No media report.
• 25 May Fraser leads Irish Times report on saving NI’s children in speech (24 May) to NSPCC at Ulster Polytechnic, Jordanstown.

1973

May

• 4 May Belfast Telegraph front-page headline, ‘Belfast child psychiatrist charged’. Fraser and seven men arrested 3 May Riverhead New York, 27 counts of conspiracy, sodomy and sexual abuse involving 15 boys. New York Times, other US media, also cover arrest. Variations appeared the following day inBelfast Newsletter and Irish News, plus London Times, Daily Express, Daily Mail and Guardian. Fraser suspended from Belfast medical post.
• 5 May Belfast Telegraph reports Fraser claim innocent of US charges.
• 6 May Sunday Times publishes part-two Children in Conflict serialisation. Short news report of Fraser innocence claim. Book published following day. Newspapers publicise and positively review book.
• 11 May ‘Certificate of conviction’ sent to the Northern Ireland Hospitals Authority by Bow Street Magistrates Court. Note: one year after Fraser conviction.

July

• 16 July Fraser appears before Fitness to Practice Committee GMC. No reference to US arrest. First ever public reference to 1972 UK conviction. Finding of professional misconduct due to ‘single sordid sexual episode’ with drug addicted ‘sophisticated’ 13-year-old boy. No reference to Bow Street co-accused, abuse of second 10-year-old boy. Metropolitan police detective (Rich) and RUC Officer (Mack) at hearings. Committee postpone sanction decision until March 1974. Fraser undergoes psychiatric treatment.
• 18 July Belfast Telegraph plus London newspapers report GMC finding that Fraser ‘guilty of misconduct’ as a result of May 1972 conviction in. First media report of 1972 conviction (media fail to note implications of this information). No media reference to US arrest since May 1973, at any stage – US arrest disappears from UK-Irish media reports. Fraser elaborates on circumstances in Belfast Telegraph report. Media fail to notice glaring anomalies in published information, fail to follow up.
• 4 August British Medical Journal Supplement publishes detailed account of Fraser hearing. No further media interest.
• (Late) Fraser visits British Army HQ Northern Ireland. Army officer records Fraser’s name on document used by Colin Wallace to brief press about Kincora child sexual abuse

1974

• 28 February Fraser appears in NY court, pleads to guilty of ‘attempted sodomy of three boys’.
• 11-13 March GMC Committee consider Fraser judgement again, postpone again. No reference to US guilty plea. Then Conservative MP Patrick Mayhew is ‘legal assessor’. Later, Mayhew was longest serving British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, from 1992-97, and also 1987-92 British Attorney General.
• 21 June Fraser convicted of ‘attempted Sodomy 2nd Degree’ Suffolk County Court New York. Court rules that Fraser undergoes psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Orders deportation from, no re-entry to, US. No reference to UK conviction. No media reports.
• July GMC postpone Fraser decision for further twelve months. However, ‘note[d] with satisfaction the evidence which has been presented to them today regarding your conduct and your continued response to treatment...’. No reference (ever) to US arrest and conviction.
• Pelican edition of Fraser’s Children in Conflict (by convicted paedophile) noted that Fraser ‘now a psychiatrist at Springfield Hospital London’.

1975

• July Having failed to take into account Fraser’s USA conviction, GMC determined: The evidence as to your continued response to treatment since July 1974 which has been presented to the Committee today, has enabled them to feel satisfied that it will now be proper to discharge your case. Your case is accordingly now concluded. Fraser stated (Guardian 15 July) ‘no restrictions on his practising’.

1977

• January Fraser published The Death of Narcissus. In the words of an enthusiastic 8 January 1977 Irish Times review, ‘a study of paedophilia and its effect on certain writers’, which Terence de Vere White thought evinced ‘literary sensitivity’ on ‘every page’. Fraser lucky also in obtaining reviews in the Guardian, Observer and Times that, again, devote space to consideration of his output.
• US edition of Children in Conflict (by deported paedophile author) published by Basic Books. Flyleaf states mistakenly Fraser still chief psychiatric registrar at Royal Hospital Belfast.

1978

• 19 October Fraser, as ‘child psychiatrist’, presents item on Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie on BBC Radio Four Kaleidoscope programme. Andrew Birkin, author of BBC Barrie series (and Barrie biographer), thinks Fraser a fraud. Fraser admits privately to Birkin he is a paedophile and deported from US. 1978 17 February Fraser writes on ‘Child Pornography in the New Statesman. Regular New Society contributor to 1985.

1979

• Penguin edition ofChildren in Conflict published (previously, Pelican).

1981

• Fraser and Peter Righton contribute chapters to Perspectives on Paedophilia. Righton later revealed as notorious paedophile and Fraser as close associate. Righton obtained in 1981 Fraser reference in professional capacity (on Great Ormond Street Hospital notepaper), aimed at lifting teaching ban (due to abuse) on fellow career paedophile and PIE member, [[Charles Napier(paedophile) | Charles Napier]].

1982

• Medical Directory lists Fraser as a Consultant Psychiatrist at University College Hospital London. British Medical Journal cites Fraser as child expert.

1985

• Fraser promotes over one and a half pages French paedophile educational operation ‘Ecole en Bateau’ in New Society.

1988

• Fraser and Michael Johnson set up Cornwall based sailing charity for disadvantaged boys: Azimuth Trust (based on similar French paedophile operation Ecole en Bateau that Fraser praised in New Society article). Fraser selects boys to sail with Johnson.
• Fraser cited in psychiatrist bulletin for inspiration and textual advice article on psychiatrists’ views of child sexual abuse.

1990

• 24 January Fraser charged at Bow Street Magistrate’s Court with taking and distributing over 1,000 indecent images of children.

1992

• 23 April Fraser jailed for one year. 1994 Feb Azimuth Trust’s Michael Johnson jailed four years on six specimen counts of indecent assault against two boys aged 9 and 11. Fraser not prosecuted.

1994

• 1 June BBC Inside Story profile of Peter Righton contains section on Fraser. States that still on medical register. Registration officer states that Fraser suitable to examine 9-year-old boy. GMC spokesperson states to BBC that Fraser has promised not to practice as doctor.

1995

• December Fraser volunteers to vacate medical register, after increasing media interest. Is believed to have moved to Amsterdam.

2015

• Kincora Boys Home and Elm Guest House victim Richard Kerr alleges Fraser had access to all of the children’s homes in Belfast and abused him.