MORRIS FRASER AND MICHAEL JOHNSON LINKED TO AZIMUTH TRUST PAEDOPHILE RING IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND CORNWALL

In a development that has reignited concerns over historical child abuse, calls are mounting for a comprehensive investigation into the activities of Dr. Morris Fraser, a former child psychiatrist in Northern Ireland, and his alleged involvement in a paedophile network connected to the Azimuth Trust. The focus is on uncovering the extent of abuse and exploitation linked to this organization, which operated in Cornwall and had ties to international paedophile circles.

Dr. Fraser, who worked at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children until the early 1970s, was known for his work counseling children traumatized by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He authored the book 'Children in Conflict: Growing up in Northern Ireland,' which was published both locally and in the United States. Despite his professional contributions, his long-standing history of paedophilia has raised serious questions about his activities during his tenure in Belfast.

It is known that Fraser joined the Paedophile Information Exchange, an organization founded in 1974 that promoted paedophilia, and he contributed writings to European paedophile magazines. In 1990, Fraser was convicted in Islington for possessing indecent photographs of boys aged between 11 and 14, taken over a decade. He received a 12-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of possessing such images and four counts of distribution. The court described his actions as 'wicked abuse.' Authorities found over 1,000 photographs at his home, with additional images discovered in Turkey, Denmark, and Holland.

Further investigations revealed that the General Medical Council had previously ordered Fraser to cease working with children following an incident involving a child in the early 1970s. Despite this, Fraser continued his activities, which included founding the Azimuth Trust charity in 1988. This organization, based in Cornwall, ostensibly aimed to send disadvantaged boys on sailing holidays but was later identified as a front for a paedophile ring. Many of the children involved, some with learning difficulties, participated in sailing trips organized by the trust.

The Azimuth Trust published its own magazine, which contained photographs of naked boys, many of whom were known to be victims or potential victims of abuse. Subscriptions to this magazine included numerous known paedophiles. Fraser’s involvement extended beyond the charity; he contributed a sympathetic chapter to 'Perspectives on Paedophilia,' published in 1981, alongside other known figures such as Peter Righton. He also facilitated introductions between young boys he met through the trust and individuals involved in illicit activities, including a 'photographer' and a 'sculptor.'

One disturbing account from a boy’s diary, which was later uncovered, detailed a visit where he was photographed nude 75 times and was told he was a 'good figure,' receiving £5 for his participation. Such incidents highlight the disturbing environment fostered within the trust’s activities.

In 1994, Michael Johnson, another key figure associated with the Azimuth Trust, was sentenced to four years in prison for six counts of indecent assault against two boys aged nine and 11. The assaults occurred between June 1989 and November 1991, with Johnson accused of abusing the boys over 50 times. Johnson’s criminal record included a warning from Cornwall County Council in 1987, following allegations of sexual misconduct, although he was not charged at that time.

Despite Fraser’s criminal conviction for possession of child pornography in 1993, he was never formally charged in connection with the activities of the Azimuth Trust or the alleged paedophile ring. Nevertheless, the evidence linking him to a broader network of abuse remains a significant concern, prompting calls for further investigation into the organization’s operations and the extent of the abuse carried out under its guise.

This case underscores the complex and troubling history of abuse within seemingly reputable institutions and highlights the need for ongoing inquiries into past misconduct involving prominent figures like Dr. Fraser and Michael Johnson, both of whom played roles in a disturbing network that exploited vulnerable children across Northern Ireland and Cornwall.