The largest number of Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse victims came from Top of the Pops, BBC report finds
The report into abuse by TV personality Jimmy Savile says there is no evidence senior members of the BBC were aware of his conduct because the culture at the corporation had created "virtually untouchable" celebrities and staff fearful of passing on their concerns.
The Dame Janet Smith review, released on Thursday morning, said eight informal complaints were made against the star DJ during his spree of abuse.
Here are some of the key findings from Smith's review:
- The majority of the cases occurred in the 1970s.
- The largest number of Savile's victims came into contact with him through popular music show Top of the Pops.
- Savile's youngest victim was just eight years old.
- His period of abuse took place between 1959 to 2006.
- There were multiple figures at the BBC who could have stopped Savile.
- Girls who complained were "seen as something of a nuisance" by the BBC.
The report, conducted at a cost of £10 million, also found that Savile was responsible for eight rapes - two of which were against males.
BBC DJ Tony Blackburn was sacked on the eve of the report's release and has promised legal action.
One extract from the report states:
"After two and half years spent working on this Review, I have found no evidence that any BBC employee above producer level could stand accused of complicity in Savile's crimes in connection with his work for the BBC. That is not to say that BBC employees are without fault but I found no evidence that a senior BBC employee was complicit in Savile's crimes."
"That said, my general impression is that most staff (other than those who had been in the higher echelons) felt that the management culture was too deferential and that some executives were 'above the law.'"
In a press conference following the report's publication Smith said that had such a culture not existed in the BBC then "there would have been a real chance of Savile and Hall being discovered."
Smith states in her report that a culture of fear still exists within the BBC.
"I was told that an atmosphere of fear still exists today in the BBC possibly because obtaining work in the BBC is highly competitive and many people no longer have the security of an employment contract.
"A further aspect to the culture of not complaining was the strong sense of loyalty that BBC staff felt towards the programme on which they were working. There was a sense of pride in the programme, a strong desire that it should succeed, a strong sense of competitiveness with other programmes and a strong disincentive to do anything which might compromise that success. "
Smith also cited the fact that a lack of women in senior positions aided Savile and Hall.
In a statement, published on the BBC website, Rona Fairhead, Chair of the BBC Trust, said she was "appalled" by the report's contents.
She said the "cultural change" required at the BBC needs to be "both substantial and permenant."
The full report can be read here.
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