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BBC suspends Newsnight investigations after false Tory peer abuse claim BBC suspends all Newsnight investigations after false Tory peer abuse claim
(about 1 hour later)
The BBC has suspended all Newsnight investigations and sent in a senior executive to supervise the latest edition of the programme after it reported false claims that a Conservative peer had sexually abused a resident of a children's care home.The BBC has suspended all Newsnight investigations and sent in a senior executive to supervise the latest edition of the programme after it reported false claims that a Conservative peer had sexually abused a resident of a children's care home.
The corporation, which is still coping with the fallout from the shelving of a Newsnight investigation into Jimmy Savile, also "unreservedly" apologised for broadcasting last Friday's report, which carried erroneous claims by Stephen Messham, an abuse victim. On Friday Messham said his claim was based on a case of mistaken identity.The corporation, which is still coping with the fallout from the shelving of a Newsnight investigation into Jimmy Savile, also "unreservedly" apologised for broadcasting last Friday's report, which carried erroneous claims by Stephen Messham, an abuse victim. On Friday Messham said his claim was based on a case of mistaken identity.
Although the report did not name him, the name of Lord McAlpine was quickly circulating on the internet and he broke his silence on Friday morning to say that reports linking him to child abuse in north Wales were "wholly false and seriously defamatory".Although the report did not name him, the name of Lord McAlpine was quickly circulating on the internet and he broke his silence on Friday morning to say that reports linking him to child abuse in north Wales were "wholly false and seriously defamatory".
Lord Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust, issued a statement less than an hour before the broadcasting of Friday night's Newsnight, announcing that a senior news executive would supervise the latest edition of the programme, which carried an apology in full. George Entwistle, the BBC director general, issued a statement less than an hour before the broadcasting of Friday night's Newsnight, announcing that a senior news executive would supervise the latest edition of the programme, which carried an apology in full.
Patten also said that he was asking Ken MacQuarrie, director of BBC Scotland, to write an urgent report for him covering what happened on the Newsnight investigation and was ordering "an immediate pause in all Newsnight investigations to assess editorial robustness and supervision". Entwistle also said that he was asking Ken MacQuarrie, director of BBC Scotland, to write an urgent report for him covering what happened on the Newsnight investigation and was ordering "an immediate pause in all Newsnight investigations to assess editorial robustness and supervision".
Lastly, the statement by Patten announced that there would be an immediate suspension of all co-productions across the BBC with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which was involved in the preparation of last week's Newsnight item centring on Messham's claims. Lastly, the statement by Entwistle announced that there would be an immediate suspension of all co-productions across the BBC with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which was involved in the preparation of last week's Newsnight item centring on Messham's claims.
Messham, a victim of sexual abuse in care homes in north Wales in the 1970s, issued a statement hours earlier in which he said that his claim was based on a case of mistaken identity. Messham, a victim of sexual abuse in care homes in north Wales in the 1970s, issued a statement hours earlier in which he said that his claims were based on a case of mistaken identity.
"After seeing a picture in the past hour of the individual concerned, this [is] not the person I identified by photograph presented to me by the police in the early 1990s, who told me the man in the photograph was Lord McAlpine," he said."After seeing a picture in the past hour of the individual concerned, this [is] not the person I identified by photograph presented to me by the police in the early 1990s, who told me the man in the photograph was Lord McAlpine," he said.
Representatives for the peer said solicitors were preparing writs with a view to taking legal action against "all media who have defamed Lord McAlpine's reputation and published defamatory statements".Representatives for the peer said solicitors were preparing writs with a view to taking legal action against "all media who have defamed Lord McAlpine's reputation and published defamatory statements".
A lawyer for him told the BBC that the peer, who is unwell, was embarking on the task of trying to remove the false claims about him from the internet.A lawyer for him told the BBC that the peer, who is unwell, was embarking on the task of trying to remove the false claims about him from the internet.
"Then we have to look at Newsnight, the way they behaved, the way they trailed it. They made it obvious who it was," he said."Then we have to look at Newsnight, the way they behaved, the way they trailed it. They made it obvious who it was," he said.
Friday night's edition was presented by Eddie Mair rather than one of the programme's usual anchors, Emily Matlis, Gavin Esler, Jeremy Paxman or Kirsty Wark.Friday night's edition was presented by Eddie Mair rather than one of the programme's usual anchors, Emily Matlis, Gavin Esler, Jeremy Paxman or Kirsty Wark.
BBC sources have said that executives and journalists involved with the BBC2 programme concluded that there was no need to contact the peer before broadcasting the anonymised accusations because Newsnight had no intention of naming him.BBC sources have said that executives and journalists involved with the BBC2 programme concluded that there was no need to contact the peer before broadcasting the anonymised accusations because Newsnight had no intention of naming him.
Had Newsnight done so, they might have heard McAlpine's denials. Another journalist, Michael Crick, from Channel 4 News, spoke to the peer twice on 2 November – and was told that McAlpine had only once been to Wrexham, the town where the abuse was alleged to have taken place.Had Newsnight done so, they might have heard McAlpine's denials. Another journalist, Michael Crick, from Channel 4 News, spoke to the peer twice on 2 November – and was told that McAlpine had only once been to Wrexham, the town where the abuse was alleged to have taken place.
Meanwhile Conservative MP Rob Wilson has written to Patten, asking him to explain what steps the BBC had taken to establish the true identity of the man who abused Messham. Meanwhile Conservative MP Rob Wilson has written to the chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, asking him to explain what steps the BBC had taken to establish the true identity of the man who abused Messham.
"What steps did the BBC take to verify the accuracy of Mr Messham's allegations against the man variously described as a 'leading Conservative from the time', 'leading Conservative politician from the Thatcher years', 'senior public figure', 'prominent Tory politician', or 'senior Tory politician', and to check concerns about mistaken identity?" he wrote."What steps did the BBC take to verify the accuracy of Mr Messham's allegations against the man variously described as a 'leading Conservative from the time', 'leading Conservative politician from the Thatcher years', 'senior public figure', 'prominent Tory politician', or 'senior Tory politician', and to check concerns about mistaken identity?" he wrote.
He also wrote to the regulator, Ofcom, asking whether it believed there were grounds for investigating whether the BBC had given the man concerned an "appropriate and timely opportunity to respond" before the allegations were broadcast by Newsnight.He also wrote to the regulator, Ofcom, asking whether it believed there were grounds for investigating whether the BBC had given the man concerned an "appropriate and timely opportunity to respond" before the allegations were broadcast by Newsnight.