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Police watchdog to investigate claims officer 'acted on behalf' of Jimmy Savile Police watchdog to investigate claims officer 'acted on behalf' of Jimmy Savile
(about 4 hours later)
The police watchdog has launched a full investigation into claims that a former West Yorkshire inspector "acted on behalf" of Jimmy Savile before he was questioned over alleged sex crimes. The police watchdog has launched an investigation into whether a police inspector intervened on behalf of Jimmy Savile during an inquiry into allegations Savile had sexually abused young girls.
Claims were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission earlier this year that the officer, known as Inspector 5, had contacted Surrey police before their detectives interviewed Savile in 2009, and on Wednesday the watchdog announced its own investigation. The West Yorkshire officer, who has now retired, is accused of inappropriately contacting Surrey detectives before they interviewed Savile in 2009 in connection with the allegations.
The announcement came after a transcript of the interview was published by Surrey revealing how Savile bragged that he had "a collection" of police contacts in Leeds.The announcement came after a transcript of the interview was published by Surrey revealing how Savile bragged that he had "a collection" of police contacts in Leeds.
He told officers that he had been targeted with false claims by blackmailers, and said: "I have up in Yorkshire, where I live in Leeds, a collection of senior police persons who come to see me socially, but I give them all my weirdo letters." The celebrity told officers that he had been targeted with false claims by blackmailers, and said: "I have up in Yorkshire, where I live in Leeds, a collection of senior police persons who come to see me socially, but I give them all my weirdo letters."
The disgraced broadcaster was quizzed by officers for almost an hour over accusations that he forced one girl to touch his groin until he was "aroused", made another perform oral sex and stuck his tongue down a young girl's throat.The disgraced broadcaster was quizzed by officers for almost an hour over accusations that he forced one girl to touch his groin until he was "aroused", made another perform oral sex and stuck his tongue down a young girl's throat.
The former star remained defiant during the interview – which took place at Stoke Mandeville hospital on 1 October 2009 – boasting he had to fight off girls "like midges".The former star remained defiant during the interview – which took place at Stoke Mandeville hospital on 1 October 2009 – boasting he had to fight off girls "like midges".
Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, told officers he was "assaulted" by women when he worked for BBC Radio 1 and Top of the Pops, insisting he did not abuse the young people at Duncroft Children's home in Staines in Berkshire in the 1970s. The Independent Police Complaints Commission saidon Wednesday it is to carry out an independent inquiry into the inspector, known as Inspector 5, and allegations that he "acted on behalf of Savile" because of his relationship with the celebrity.
The presenter told police the only reason the allegations were surfacing years later was because his fame made him an easy target and claimed his alleged victims were making the accusations for money. The IPCC is also assessing the actions of nine police forces in their dealings with the BBC entertainer, who is believed to have sexually abused hundreds of victims during his career.
He told police: "[In] my business, there's women looking for a few quid. We always get something like this coming up for Christmas, because we want a few quid for Christmas, right. The watchdog said: "We have been assessing information to determine whether there are any matters requiring IPCC investigation, supplied by the following forces: West Yorkshire, Metropolitan Police Service, Surrey, Sussex, GMP, Lancashire, Thames Valley, North Yorkshire and Cheshire."
"And normally you can brush them away like midges and it's not much of a price to pay for the lifestyle." During the Surrey police interview, Savile dismissed allegations that he had sexually abused girls and talked of how he was the victim of women assaulting him.
Savile claimed his fame meant he had no need to "do anybody any harm". "What you don't do is assault women, they assault you that's for sure," Savile said. Before the interview Inspector 5 allegedly contacted Surrey police in an attempt to speak on behalf of Savile.
"When you're doing Top of the Pops and Radio 1, what you don't do is assault women. They assault you, that's for sure," he said. Victims' groups have responded angrily to the details revealed in the full transcript of the interview – the last chance to bring Savile to justice while he was alive.
"And you don't have to, because you've got plenty of girls about, and all that, so dealing with something like this is out of the question and totally wrong, full stop." Pete Saunders of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood said the language used by Savile indicated his hatred of young women.
The transcripts also showed Savile was prepared to see the allegations go all the way to the Old Bailey. "The transcript confirms the nature of the man," he said. "If you look between the lines you can see he hates women, and young women in particular."
He said he had already had five newspapers settle with him after he threatened to sue them and even referred to himself as the "Litigiousness", given his willingness to take people to court. West Yorkshire police's dealings with the celebrity were examined in an internal investigation, Operation Newgreen, conducted by the force. But last week it emerged that a senior officer – Nick Gargan, chief constable of Avon and Somerset – had raised serious questions about the impartiality of that investigation.
"Now if you're Litigiousness, people get quite nervous actually because for somebody that don't want to go to court, I love it," he said. Gargan said in a letter that the West Yorkshire inquiry "does not have the look and feel of an independent report."
During the interview, released under the Freedom of Information Act, Savile rejected suggestions he was attracted to girls under 16. Operation Newgreen was published in May, he said, failed to give "independent assurance" and may have made the force appear defensive.
"No, they have nothing to offer, in so far as they didn't even have much of a conversation," he said. Gargan was asked to investigate whether West Yorkshire's assistant chief constable Ingrid Lee, who commissioned and oversaw the report, failed to declare her business relationship with serving and ex- colleagues.
Liz Dux, head of abuse at the law firm Slater & Gordon, which is representing 72 alleged victims, said: "The interview shows Savile to be a man with complete disdain and contempt for those that he was purporting to help. The Newgreen report highlighted an "over-reliance on personal friendships" between Savile and some officers but concluded there was "no evidence" he was protected from arrest or prosecution.
"He boasts about his fundraising for the hospitals, his wealth and his powerful friends, demonstrating how his actions went unquestioned for so many years. Gargan wrote of Newgreen: "It seems clear to me that Operation Newgreen does not have the look and feel of an independent report. As I turned from one page to the next, I saw example after example of the author putting the case for WYP.The interview emerged after Jeremy Hunt announced that more hospitals may be investigated as part of inquiries into abuse by Savile on NHS premises.
"His victims will be distressed to read that those that protected him put monetary gain and his celebrity above looking after their welfare.
"It's clear from the interview and the detailed questioning from police that they must have had a lot of information at the time he was interviewed back in 2009."
The interview emerged after Jeremy Hunt announced that more hospitals may be investigated as part of inquiries into abuse by Savile on NHS premises.
New information has come to light relating to investigations across 13 institutions as well as "reference to other hospitals".New information has come to light relating to investigations across 13 institutions as well as "reference to other hospitals".
He has asked police to review all of the evidence before relevant information is passed on to investigators "as quickly as possible".He has asked police to review all of the evidence before relevant information is passed on to investigators "as quickly as possible".
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