Jimmy Savile abuse scandal stuns Britain

Police believe former TV star Jimmy Savile, a national icon, may have been one of Britain's worst pedophile offenders. Some of Savile's alleged 300 victims had appeared on his TV shows. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.

By Keir Simmons, NBC News

LONDON -- The child sex abuse scandal engulfing Britain’s public broadcaster, the BBC, has been producing disturbing headlines in the UK for almost a month, and the signs are this is just the beginning. Since the scandal broke, 300 victims have told police that they were abused by BBC TV host Jimmy Savile, suggesting this number may yet rise.

Savile hosted TV shows, worked for charities and was even awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. More than just a TV personality, he was a national institution. He was perhaps Britain’s answer to Dick Clark, hosting the UK’s equivalent of “American Bandstand,” the very British sounding “Top of the Pops.”

Savile died last year, but it is another institution, the one he worked for, that has become as much the focus of this scandal. The BBC says new allegations have been made against nine current BBC staff or contributors since the revelations about Savile. Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament: "These allegations do leave many institutions, perhaps particularly the BBC, with serious questions to answer."

It is difficult to exaggerate how fundamental the BBC is to British culture. It has the highest-rated radio stations. It runs one of the biggest TV channels. Its Web pages are the most-read. Its news is the most trusted. The BBC even has its own "sound" – a kind of posh, but not too posh, monotone adopted by all newsreaders. British children grow up with it.

Now, it is accused of turning its back while children were allegedly abused on its premises by a BBC star and others. One BBC show, “Jim’ll Fix It,” even invited children to write in and ask to be on TV. The access to legal minors has prompted comparisons to Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. It’s a scandal that is raising questions about the cult of celebrity and about how large prestigious institutions can offer pedophiles a place to hide.

One seemingly inexplicable aspect of what happened is that so many people now appear to have been aware that it was happening. In interviews, Savile was asked about whether he was a pedophile and denied it. Comedians told jokes about it. Yet for decades no one did anything to stop it. Perhaps all this is not just about the British Broadcasting Corporation but about British culture itself.

The BBC’s journalistic culture is also being questioned. The former director-general of the BBC, Mark Thompson, is soon to be chief executive of the New York Times. Under his leadership, and that of new BBC director-general George Entwistle, a BBC investigation into Savile was dropped last year. It took a rival network, ITV, to uncover the scandal.

It’s still not clear why the well-regarded show “Newsnight” dropped the investigation, and there is no suggestion that either Thompson or Entwistle were involved in a cover up. But, on top of the BBC’s failure to stop Savile, its shelving of his investigation has shocked the UK. The BBC’s journalism is fiercely independent; its own journalists have done much to make the Savile story headline news, but many of the questions are about the competency of BBC's management rather than individual reporters and producers.

The alleged abuse happened many years ago, in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. And the BBC is not the only organization involved. For example, Savile was allowed into children’s hospital wards. The police were asked to investigate on a number of occasions but failed to bring charges. What makes the allegations all the more disturbing to many Britons is that the BBC is funded through a tax paid by every British family with a television.

The BBC has faced serious crises before. In 2003, it was investigated after a controversial broadcast about the Iraq war that led to the suicide of a leading scientist. The public inquiry was so critical it lead to the resignation of the BBC’s then director-general. Ten years on, the BBC is still thriving. But it’s hard to imagine a more toxic claim than the allegation that the British Broadcasting Corporation allowed children to be abused by its employees. As another famous British bastion of journalism, The Economist, puts it this week, “From the height of so much esteem, it is a steep fall.”

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Jimmy Savile: BBC policy chief accused of misleading MPs
David Jordan told committee that he had issued inaccurate statements concerning nature of Newsnight investigation

Mark Townsend and Vanessa Thorpe
The Observer, Saturday 27 October 2012 15.39 EDT
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Jimmy Savile presenting Top of the Pops in 1976 - evidence is emerging that there was a 'more formalized' ring of abuse at the BBC. Photograph: BBC

The BBC's crisis over Jimmy Savile has intensified after accusations that the corporation's head of editorial standards knowingly misled parliament.

David Jordan, director of editorial policy and standards at the BBC, told last Tuesday's culture select committee that he had issued inaccurate public statements concerning the nature of Newsnight's Savile sex abuse investigation, but that he did so before he had been told about the true nature of the programme by its producer, Meirion Jones.

BBC sources say, however, that his version is incorrect. They claim instead that Jordan repeated misleading statements about the programme's investigation after he had been warned by Jones that his account was wrong.

Sources within the BBC newsroom said it was concerning that Jordan, who had sat alongside director general George Entwistle during last week's challenging select committee appearance, should have committed such an error. One said: "The chronology of what he knew when is apparent. He could be said to have misled the committee."

As Scotland Yard detectives prepare their arrest strategy following information from more than 300 victims in relation to their Operation Yewtree inquiry into Savile, further pressure on the corporation will emerge this week when lawyers representing some of the victims write to the BBC demanding a fuller apology.

Although Entwistle has offered a "profound and heartfelt apology" to victims, a number of whom were allegedly abused on BBC premises, lawyers believe it does not go far enough. Child abuse lawyer Trevor Sterling, of Slater & Gordon, said: "I don't think we've seen or heard a sufficient apology."

The nephew of Savile, Roger Foster, has offered his "thoughts and prayers" to Savile's victims saying the revelations surrounding the late TV presenter had left the family in "turmoil".

Meanwhile, the NSPCC said calls were still "coming in thick and fast" and showed little sign of abating. Peter Watt, director of the charity's helpline, said they had never fielded so many calls regarding an individual. So far, the charity has taken 190 calls relating directly to Savile plus a further 217 concerning "other historical abuse", all of which are being investigated by the Met.

On Saturday, publicist Max Clifford revealed that up to 15 celebrities had come forward, anxious their past sexual exploits might see them caught up in the wake of the scandal. Jim Gamble, former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), warned that such were the nature and size of the abuse allegations it could transform the awareness of child sex abuse in Britain. He said: "If you believe that due to someone's position in society, due to their wealth, due to their celebrity ... that means they cannot be a paedophile then you are a danger yourself, to your children and other people's children."

The BBC is braced for the legal ramifications arising from allegations that other BBC employees were involved.

Sterling added: "From what we've heard there were others working in association with Jimmy Savile; there have been many stories of people, for example, taking children to his dressing room. What's emerging now is the suggestion that there was a more formalised ring."

His comments corroborate the latest findings from the National Association for People Abused in Childhood whose chief executive, Pete Saunders, described "an element of widespread organisation" regarding abuse at the BBC.

On the morning of 5 October, Jones told Jordan, during a confidential meeting, that the reasons being put forward by the BBC to explain the dropping of the Savile investigation were misleading.

Despite being told by Jones that Newsnight was looking into allegations that Savile was a paedophile, Jordan later told BBC's Newswatch that Newsnight was examining the Surrey police investigation. At 6:11pm on 5 October, Jones sent an email to Entwistle explaining that the Newsnight investigation had examined whether Savile was a paedophile, not the role of the police and Crown Prosecution Service.

Jordan said that during the meeting Jones told him that he believed the investigation into Savile should have been broadcast and he was unhappy with the corporate characterisation of the nature of the investigation.

He added: "After it was agreed at the outset of the meeting that it would be confidential I specifically asked at the end whether he would like me to take the issues he had outlined further. He indicated he would not, at least not yet. "

During the committee hearing, Jordan explained the inaccurate interviews he had given by saying the email from Jones was sent afterwards. When Labour MP Ben Bradshaw asked Jordan if he was aware of Newsnight staff complaining that the BBC's official version of events was wrong, Jordan answered: "Not initially."

Last Wednesday, after appearing on BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, Jordan became embroiled with Jones in a heated row in the BBC newsroom during which the Newsnight producer reportedly accused Jordan of being a "liar".

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Rocker Gary Glitter arrested in connection with Savile case, British media report
By Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press October 28, 2012 6:50 AM

LONDON - The sex abuse scandal surrounding the late BBC children's television host Jimmy Savile widened on Sunday as police arrested former glam rock star and convicted sex offender Gary Glitter in connection with the case, British media said.

Police would not directly identify the suspect arrested Sunday, but media including the BBC and Press Association reported he was the 68-year-old Glitter.

The musician made it big with the crowd-pleasing hit "Rock & Roll (Part 2)," a mostly instrumental anthem that has been a staple at American sporting events thanks to its catchy "hey" chorus. But he fell into disgrace after being convicted on child abuse charges in Britain and Vietnam.

On Sunday, the BBC and Sky News showed footage of Glitter, who wore a hat, a dark coat and sunglasses, being taken from his home by officers and driven away.

British police do not generally identify suspects under arrest by name until they are charged. When asked about Glitter, a spokesman said only that the force arrested a man in his 60s early Sunday morning in London on suspicion of sexual offences in connection with the Savile probe. He remains in custody in a London police station, police said.

Hundreds of potential victims have come forward since police began their investigation into sex abuse allegations against Savile, the longtime host of popular shows "Top of the Pops" and "Jim'll Fix It" who died at age 84 last year. Most allege abuse by Savile, but some said they were abused by Savile and others.

Glitter is the first suspect to be arrested in the scandal, which has raised questions about whether the BBC turned a blind eye to the alleged sexual crimes. It was not immediately clear if Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, and Savile knew each other.

Glitter rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of U.K. hits and his look of shiny jumpsuits, silver platform shoes and bouffant wigs, but his music has often been shunned since his abuse convictions. In 2006, the NFL advised its football teams not to use the Glitter version of "Rock and Roll (Part 2)" at games.

Glitter was jailed in Britain in 1999 for possessing child pornography, and convicted in 2006 in Vietnam of committing "obscene acts with children" — offences involving girls aged 10 and 11. He was deported back to Britain in 2008.

Police have said that though the majority of cases it is investigating related to Savile alone, some involved the entertainer and other, unidentified suspects. In addition, some potential victims who reported abuse by Savile also told police about separate allegations against unidentified men that did not involve the BBC host.

The scandal has horrified Britain with revelations that Savile cajoled and coerced vulnerable teens into having sex with him in his car, in his camper van, and even in dingy dressing rooms on BBC premises.

One witness told the BBC that she once saw Glitter having sex with a schoolgirl in Savile's dressing room at the broadcaster's TV centre in the 1970s. Glitter has denied the allegations.

On Sunday, the chairman of the BBC Trust said he was committed to finding out the true scale of the scandal to save the broadcaster's reputation.

"Can it really be the case that no one knew what he was doing? Did some turn a blind eye to criminality? Did some prefer not to follow up their suspicions because of this criminal's popularity and place in the schedules?" Chris Patten wrote in The Mail on Sunday.

The BBC has set up an independent inquiry into the corporation's culture and practices in the years Savile worked there. It also launched a separate inquiry into whether its journalists dropped an investigation into the allegations.

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Not surprised that Gary Glitter is tied up in this...he is a convicted sex offender...birds of a feather and all of that.

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The BBC's Tim Reid said police have confirmed they "have today arrested a man in his 60s in connection with the investigation"

Jimmy Savile: Gary Glitter arrested over sex offences

Former pop star Gary Glitter has been arrested on suspicion of sex offences by police investigating Jimmy Savile abuse claims.

He has been taken from his home into custody at a London police station.

Glitter, 68, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was jailed in Vietnam in 2006 for child sex offences.

Police are investigating allegations the late TV presenter Savile sexually abused some 300 young people over a 40-year period.

Met Police confirmed officers from Operation Yewtree had "arrested a man in his 60s in connection with the investigation".

"The man, from London, was arrested at approximately 0715 on suspicion of sexual offences. The individual falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'Savile and others'."

Scotland Yard has said it is following about 400 lines of inquiry as part of the operation - which is looking into claims Savile, who died last year aged 84, abused hundreds of young girls and some boys.

Police described former BBC DJ Savile as a "predatory sex offender".

Karin Ward - a former pupil at Duncroft approved school for girls in Surrey - told the BBC she had once seen singer Glitter having sex with a schoolgirl in Savile's dressing room at the BBC. Glitter has denied the allegations.

'Lessons to learn'
Glitter is the first person to be arrested in connection with the Met's Savile abuse inquiry.

The glam rock star rose to fame during the 70s, selling 18 million records by 1975.

Elsewhere the deputy leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman has called for a judge-led inquiry into the Savile abuse claims.

She told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "The trouble is that there are a multiplicity of inquiries. What we need is one over-arching inquiry.

"It should be independent because there are big lessons to be learned here, not just for the BBC, although the epicentre of it was at the BBC."

Savile is also alleged to have carried out abuse at a number of institutions, such as the high security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told the same programme while what had happened was "horrendous" it was important not to "rush into a judge-led inquiry," arguing it would take "much longer to get to the truth".

The BBC Trust's chairman Lord Patten, writing in the Mail On Sunday, said the corporation must face up to the truth, warning it "risks squandering public trust".

Alleged victim Ms Ward was interviewed for the BBC's Newsnight programme last November in which she made abuse claims, but the interview was only shown on Panorama this week as the Newsnight investigation was shelved.

Mr Patten told the paper: "Like many who work for the BBC, I feel a sense of particular remorse that abused women spoke to Newsnight, presumably at great personal pain, yet did not have their stories told as they expected."

It also emerged on Sunday that Savile's former house in the Scottish Highlands has been vandalised and painted with abusive slogans.

The BBC has already announced inquiries into the Savile abuse claims. The first, led by former Sky News head Nick Pollard, is examining whether there were any failings in the BBC's management of the Newsnight investigation into Savile abuse claims.

On Monday, former Court of Appeal judge Dame Janet Smith will begin a review into the culture and practices of the corporation during Savile's time at the BBC. A further review will examine sexual harassment policies at the BBC.

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The BBC is “too secretive” and should publish more information about its inner workings after the Jimmy Savile scandal, the Communities Secretary has said.


More than 200 complaints have been made against late BBC entertainer Jimmy Savile Photo: REX

By Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent
11:59AM GMT 28 Oct 2012

Eric Pickles called on the corporation to allow requests under freedom of information laws and publish spending data if it wants to restores itself “in the affection of the nation”.

He urged the BBC to embrace transparency after the broadcaster was criticised for shelving a Newsnight investigation into allegations of child abuse by the late Savile.

The corporation was also accused of being slow to react to the scandal as hundreds of alleged victims came forward to say the entertainer molested or assaulted them at the BBC, hospitals or schools.

Mr Pickles yesterday said the BBC needs to consider fundamental transparency reforms, now that it has realised the gravity of the situation.

“I think it’s in all our interests for the BBC to be held in the high esteem it deserves,” he told Sky News. “I think there is a problem at the heart of the BBC, is the organisation is too secretive. I think it should think now of opening itself up to freedom of information requests.

“I think it should look towards publishing a lot of its expenditure online. My department shows all its credits online in real terms – we produce things, anything above £250 we put online.
“I think it’s that kind of response that the BBC now needs to understand. I don’t think it can see itself away from the real world, and I think a part of the process of re-establishing the BBC in the affection of the nation is the BBC has to be much more open.”

The BBC is holding two inquiries in the aftermath of the revelations. One led by Dame Janet Smith, the judge who led the inquiry into serial killer Harold Shipman, will look into whether the BBC’s culture allowed sexual harassment and assault to take place while Jimmy Savile was one of its biggest stars for 40 years.

Another by Nick Pollard, the former head of Sky News, will look at whether a BBC’s Newsnight programme probing Savile's past was shelved to cover-up his alleged abuse.

His comments came after Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, said the problem of people turning a blind eye to children abuse in some parts of the country "has not gone away".

He pointed out the case of gangs allowed to abuse children in Rochdale only recently is "equally shocking". In both the Savile and Rochdale cases, institutions failed to pick up on the abuse for years.

“Clearly what has emerged is absolutely horrendous, it’s shocking," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

"There was clearly a culture that should never, ever, ever have been allowed to exist. In case we should think the world has change totally, you just have to look at what’s happened in some northern towns recently where there have been some equally shocking cases of abuses, of gangs of men abusing teenage girls. So this is not a problem that’s gone away."

Earlier, Harriet Harman, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, repeated calls for a judge-led inquiry into the allegations.

David Cameron has not ruled out such an investigation but would want to wait for the two BBC inquiries to finish before making a decision.

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