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| British Report on Sex Abuse Scandal Details Decades of Accusations | British Report on Sex Abuse Scandal Details Decades of Accusations |
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| LONDON — British police and the country’s leading children’s charity drew a horrific picture on Friday of almost six decades of accusations of sexual abuse of children as young as eight by television host Jimmy Savile, and prosecutors admitted for the first time that they could have brought him to trial before his death but failed to do so. | LONDON — British police and the country’s leading children’s charity drew a horrific picture on Friday of almost six decades of accusations of sexual abuse of children as young as eight by television host Jimmy Savile, and prosecutors admitted for the first time that they could have brought him to trial before his death but failed to do so. |
| The depiction of what Peter Spindler, a police commander, called a “vast, predatory and opportunistic” record of misconduct offered the latest gruesome indictment in a scandal that has plunged the British Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Savile’s longtime employer, into crisis, drawn in a mounting tally of suspects and victims, and raised questions about the protection of children from predators in supposedly safe institutions. | The depiction of what Peter Spindler, a police commander, called a “vast, predatory and opportunistic” record of misconduct offered the latest gruesome indictment in a scandal that has plunged the British Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Savile’s longtime employer, into crisis, drawn in a mounting tally of suspects and victims, and raised questions about the protection of children from predators in supposedly safe institutions. |
| In the process, Mr. Savile’s public image has been transformed. Once seen as a zany national treasure with a near-saintly commitment to charitable work with children — knighted by both the pope and the British royal family — the television star is now openly blamed for one of Britain’s most extensive catalogs of devious abuse. | In the process, Mr. Savile’s public image has been transformed. Once seen as a zany national treasure with a near-saintly commitment to charitable work with children — knighted by both the pope and the British royal family — the television star is now openly blamed for one of Britain’s most extensive catalogs of devious abuse. |
| “It is clear that Savile cunningly built his entire life into gaining access to vulnerable children,” said Peter Watt, a senior official of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. | “It is clear that Savile cunningly built his entire life into gaining access to vulnerable children,” said Peter Watt, a senior official of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. |
| The report on Friday by Scotland Yard and the children’s charity said Mr. Savile used his status as a national celebrity to “hide in plain sight” as he committed more than 200 criminal offenses in 28 police jurisdictions. | The report on Friday by Scotland Yard and the children’s charity said Mr. Savile used his status as a national celebrity to “hide in plain sight” as he committed more than 200 criminal offenses in 28 police jurisdictions. |
| The locations included the premises of the BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, a home for disturbed adolescent girls, and 14 medical facilities such as hospitals, mental health units and a hospice for the dying. The accusations spanned the period from 1955 to 2009. The youngest victim was an eight-year-old boy, the report said, and the oldest was aged 47. | The locations included the premises of the BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, a home for disturbed adolescent girls, and 14 medical facilities such as hospitals, mental health units and a hospice for the dying. The accusations spanned the period from 1955 to 2009. The youngest victim was an eight-year-old boy, the report said, and the oldest was aged 47. |
| Separately, the Crown Prosecution Service acknowledged that three victims who accused Mr. Savile of abuse in 2009 were not taken seriously enough. “I would like to take the opportunity to apologize for the shortcomings in the part played by the Crown Prosecution Service in these cases,” Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, said in a statement. | Separately, the Crown Prosecution Service acknowledged that three victims who accused Mr. Savile of abuse in 2009 were not taken seriously enough. “I would like to take the opportunity to apologize for the shortcomings in the part played by the Crown Prosecution Service in these cases,” Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, said in a statement. |
| According to the report by Scotland Yard and the children’s charity, the majority of the victims — 73 percent — were aged under 18. A total of 450 people came forward to accuse Mr. Savile after the scandal exploded in October 2012, and police concluded that the number of crimes of which he is accused totals 214, 34 of them rapes. | According to the report by Scotland Yard and the children’s charity, the majority of the victims — 73 percent — were aged under 18. A total of 450 people came forward to accuse Mr. Savile after the scandal exploded in October 2012, and police concluded that the number of crimes of which he is accused totals 214, 34 of them rapes. |
| Most of the victims were aged between 13 and 16 years, and 82 percent of them were female, the report said. | Most of the victims were aged between 13 and 16 years, and 82 percent of them were female, the report said. |
| The offenses peaked in a decade between 1966 and 1976, when Mr. Savile was aged between 40 and 50, the report said. “His peak offending came with the peak of his success,” said Detective Superintendent David Gray, from a Scotland Yard unit investigating pedophile crime, | The offenses peaked in a decade between 1966 and 1976, when Mr. Savile was aged between 40 and 50, the report said. “His peak offending came with the peak of his success,” said Detective Superintendent David Gray, from a Scotland Yard unit investigating pedophile crime, |
| During his time at the BBC, Mr. Savile played a central role in two shows — “Top of the Pops” featuring rock bands playing their latest hits and “Jim’ll Fix It” in which Mr. Savile responded to requests from viewers. Both shows gave him direct access to audiences of young people, some of seeking his advice and help on “Jim’ll Fix it.” His charitable work also took him to hospitals and other health facilities in his hometown Leeds, in the northeast, to Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. | During his time at the BBC, Mr. Savile played a central role in two shows — “Top of the Pops” featuring rock bands playing their latest hits and “Jim’ll Fix It” in which Mr. Savile responded to requests from viewers. Both shows gave him direct access to audiences of young people, some of seeking his advice and help on “Jim’ll Fix it.” His charitable work also took him to hospitals and other health facilities in his hometown Leeds, in the northeast, to Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. |
| Mr. Gray said Mr. Savile must have thought about abuse “every minute of every working day.” | Mr. Gray said Mr. Savile must have thought about abuse “every minute of every working day.” |
| The bald statistics gave a clearer insight into the scope of the accusations against Mr. Savile, depicted as what Mr. Starmer, the prosecutor, depicted as a “watershed moment” in Britain’s handling of abuse. | The bald statistics gave a clearer insight into the scope of the accusations against Mr. Savile, depicted as what Mr. Starmer, the prosecutor, depicted as a “watershed moment” in Britain’s handling of abuse. |
| Commander Spindler said Mr. Savile “ cannot face justice today, but we hope this report gives some comfort to his hundreds of victims. They have been listened to and taken seriously.” | Commander Spindler said Mr. Savile “ cannot face justice today, but we hope this report gives some comfort to his hundreds of victims. They have been listened to and taken seriously.” |
| The report raised some questions about the culture of the era in which Mr. Savile rose to prominence as television audiences grew, feeding in part on a revolution in pop music. “It was an age of different social attitudes and the workings of the criminal justice system at the time would have reflected this,” the report said. | The report raised some questions about the culture of the era in which Mr. Savile rose to prominence as television audiences grew, feeding in part on a revolution in pop music. “It was an age of different social attitudes and the workings of the criminal justice system at the time would have reflected this,” the report said. |
| There have also been questions about the motives of some of his accusers. | |
| In an introductory passage of the 37-page report, the authors addressed an issue that has caused concern among legal experts, Savile family members and others who have argued for caution in face of the avalanche of abuse allegations: that Mr. Savile, who died in October 2011, cannot defend himself, nor can the accounts of his accusers be tested in criminal proceedings. | |
| “An issue that has understandably been raised is that as Jimmy Savile is dead there can be no criminal prosecutions against him and the testimony of his victims cannot be challenged in the courts”, the report said. | |
| But the authors, in effect, turned this argument on its head, saying that the “lack of criminal proceedings — and justice for victims” persuaded them that the information gathered in the course of their three-month investigation “should be put into the public domain”. | |
| The report acknowledged that “not all the victims who have come forward have been interviewed by police”. Nonetheless, it said, referring to the children’s charity by its initials, “the patterns and similarities of the offenses and behaviors that have come to light so far have given police and NSPCC staff an informed view that most people have provided compelling accounts of what happened to them.” | |
| “On the whole victims are not known to each other and taken together their accounts paint a compelling picture of widespread sexual abuse by a predatory sex offender. We are therefore referring to them as ‘victims’ rather than as ‘complainants’, and are not presenting the evidence they have provided as unproven allegations”. | |
| The scandal began to emerge a few weeks later, when “Newsnight,”a flagship current affairs program on the BBC, canceled an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Mr. Savile shortly before the corporation broadcast lavish Christmas tributes to him. | |
| As the scandal grew, it forced the resignation of the former director general of the BBC, George Entwistle. Police officials said last month that 589 people made accusations related to the scandal mostly relating to Mr. Savile but including other high-profile figures. Police detectives have questioned 10 men about sexual accusations that they all deny. Six more men, who have not been identified by name, are under investigation. | As the scandal grew, it forced the resignation of the former director general of the BBC, George Entwistle. Police officials said last month that 589 people made accusations related to the scandal mostly relating to Mr. Savile but including other high-profile figures. Police detectives have questioned 10 men about sexual accusations that they all deny. Six more men, who have not been identified by name, are under investigation. |
| Before the report was published on Friday, John Cameron, the head of child protection for the children’s charity, told The Guardian: “It is very clear that Savile assaulted very young children and that he was a prolific pedophile, there is no doubt about that. We want this to mark a cultural shift so that if a child speaks out about someone, we take what they are saying seriously and we act upon it always in future.” | Before the report was published on Friday, John Cameron, the head of child protection for the children’s charity, told The Guardian: “It is very clear that Savile assaulted very young children and that he was a prolific pedophile, there is no doubt about that. We want this to mark a cultural shift so that if a child speaks out about someone, we take what they are saying seriously and we act upon it always in future.” |
| A report commissioned by the BBC concluded last month that lax leadership hampered by “rigid management chains” left the corporation “completely incapable” of dealing with the crisis over Mr. Savile’s behavior. | A report commissioned by the BBC concluded last month that lax leadership hampered by “rigid management chains” left the corporation “completely incapable” of dealing with the crisis over Mr. Savile’s behavior. |
| A 200-page report by Nick Pollard, a veteran British broadcast executive, strongly criticized the editorial and management decisions that prompted the BBC to cancel the broadcast in 2011 that would have exposed decades of abuse. | A 200-page report by Nick Pollard, a veteran British broadcast executive, strongly criticized the editorial and management decisions that prompted the BBC to cancel the broadcast in 2011 that would have exposed decades of abuse. |
| But Mr. Pollard absolved top management of applying “undue pressure” in the decision to stop the broadcast. | But Mr. Pollard absolved top management of applying “undue pressure” in the decision to stop the broadcast. |
| The report also did not challenge the assertions of Mark Thompson, then head of the BBC, that he had no role in killing the Savile investigation and was unaware of the sexual abuse accusations until he left the BBC this September. Mr. Thompson is now president and chief executive of The New York Times Company. | The report also did not challenge the assertions of Mark Thompson, then head of the BBC, that he had no role in killing the Savile investigation and was unaware of the sexual abuse accusations until he left the BBC this September. Mr. Thompson is now president and chief executive of The New York Times Company. |
| The report’s central conclusion was that confusion and mismanagement, not a cover-up, lay at the heart of the decision to drop the Savile segment on “Newsnight.” | The report’s central conclusion was that confusion and mismanagement, not a cover-up, lay at the heart of the decision to drop the Savile segment on “Newsnight.” |
| A second BBC inquiry into the culture of the corporation over decades of abuse is continuing. | A second BBC inquiry into the culture of the corporation over decades of abuse is continuing. |