Man Confesses: Ripper Story Was A Hoax (Press, 20 June 1978)
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Summary: Man Confesses: Ripper Story Was A Hoax (Press, 20 June 1978)
Joseph Sickert, whose claims formed the basis of the theory presented in Stephen Knight's book "Jack the Ripper — the Final Solution," has confessed that his narrative regarding the infamous Ripper murders of 1888 was fabricated. Sickert, speaking to the "Sunday Times," declared, “It was a hoax. I made it all up,” contradicting the theory that suggested the murders were orchestrated by high-ranking government officials to conceal a royal scandal. Knight spent two years investigating Sickert’s assertions, believing them to be credible. His book achieved considerable commercial success, selling thousands of copies in hardback and recently being released in paperback. Sickert's newfound admission poses a challenge for Knight and his publisher, Harrap. Initially, Sickert had communicated to Knight that his father, the painter Walter Sickert, had ties to royalty, alleging that Prime Minister Lord Salisbury was anxious about reports concerning aristocrats visiting a notorious homosexual brothel in Cleveland Street, London. Sickert claimed that prostitutes in the East End devised a misguided blackmail scheme upon learning this, leading Lord Salisbury to assign Sir William Gull, the Queen's surgeon, to silence them. Now, Sickert wishes to disassociate his father from the fabricated story, stating, “I want to clear the name of my father,” and expressing regret for the possible repercussions of his claims. He had initially not anticipated that his story would be published beyond a local outlet, and now feels that the discussion around the Ripper should return to its origins in criminology rather than the fictional narrative he created. Knight was unavailable for comment regarding Sickert's revelation.
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