Minister apologies for abuse comments
Children's minister Margaret Hodge apologised today to the child abuse victim she labelled an "extremely disturbed person" and promised not to repeat those words again.
But she defied demands for her resignation over the remark she made about Demetrious Panton, who was sexually molested in a care home in Islington in north London, where she was council leader in the 1980s.
She acknowledged he suffered "appalling abuse" in the 1970s and said in a letter to Mr Panton that she was "genuinely sorry for having contributed to your pain and anger".
He had announced plans to sue her for libel over her remark, contained in a letter to BBC chairman of governors Gavyn Davies after she learnt the corporation was investigating Mr Panton's case.
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