Jimmy Savile

There have been accusations of rape against Jimmy Savile. One woman said she had to have an abortion as a result.

Have read loads of articles and it is so unclear what he is actually supposed to have done.. I fear that inappropriate behaviour today was not classed as such years ago. It is so easy for the news and papers to imply things and let everyone else make the rest up? I have to say I never liked the man, but I find it all a little weird to say the least..

helshea The police are still investigating numerous complaints from both men and women who were young, often underage – one boy was nine years old, I read – at the time of the alleged assaults. There have been a few details here and there but nothing very specific, as you would expect if there is to be some sort of legal case (obviously not against Savile himself). Inappropriate touching rather than full penetrative sex seems to be the keynote, but that is still abuse even if it isn't rape. (I have not heard any mention of oral sex, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen, just that it is not in the public domain.) It is going to take a long time to get to the full, or as full as possible story.

It all seems a bit unclear to me exactly what JS has or is supposed to have done.. is it just inappropriate behaviour or is he being accused of actually having sex? I'm not sure of the facts?

POGS There is something of a difference. The BBC is not accused of organising sexual abuse, while the Murdoch Press was accused of organising phone hacking. It seems fairly clear that some senior figures in the BBC did deliberately turn a blind eye to the rumours as Jimmy Savile was such a valuable commodity, but no one – victim or witness – came forward with an outright accusation. Blameworthy probably but not wholly guilty perhaps. Surely a witch hunt against the BBC would be ureasonable.

Well, she's supposedly one of us (a GN'er) so perhaps she will give an answer on this thread?

I was a bit shocked by Polly Toynbee on the Daily Politics show today. Andrew Neil asked if next week will be bad for the BBC, re Jimmy Savile story. Panorama is doing a story on the fact Newsnight abandoned a story.

She defended the BBC accusing the 'written press' and Murdoch'a papers in particular of hating the BBC and trying to pin it all on them. She said "Nobody knew or nobody had the evidence, if they suspected. So let's hope it doesn't get just pinned on the BBC." "Let's hope we see the evidence of just how great a story it was" !.

That to me indicates she sees very little wrong with the behaviour of the BBC. Would she back an, inquiry so quickly into the BBC as she did over phone hacking I wonder.?

I think there must be some substance to the amount of "alleged" abuse, but can anyone remember after Saville died a lady wrote about him that she lived with him on and off for years and they were close??

not heard zilch from her!!

Do wonder if lot of these have come forward hoping for compensation.

Is scandalous reading also in yesterdays mail that his great niece was a victim and the grandmother kept quiet !! so she would not lose her perks from Saville, appalling.

The woman who was claiming to be Jimmy Saville's love child has gone very quiet. Maybe she's decided any money she might get is not worth the future hassle?

petra - see above, several posts back!

Not Jimmy Saville but on the same destressing subject.
Did anyone read the article by Anne Atkins in the Mail yesterday.
To cut a long story short; she knows of a peadeophile and will not say anything because it might upset her friend (he being the one that was abused)
This from a woman who spouts on about her ' christianity ' at every opportunity on television. Left me speechless.

A girl who was in my Girl Guide patrol died of leukaemia during the summer holidays. We were told, but no great fuss was made, I didn't even feel particularly shocked, and counsellors didn't exist in the '50s. A boy in my year at school also died of leukaemia and I felt a bit guilty because I hadn't liked him and had once let down his bike tyres - yes, I was a charmer - but it didn't prey on my mind for long. I don't think it was even mentioned at assembly but the news went round on the grapevine. So much has changed in half a century!

When I was about 7 a boy in the class died during the long school holidays. (leukaemia possibly?) My mother told me, and I felt a bit sad that day - mainly because he was the first boy ever to show me some minor attention (wanted to work with me and told another boy "threes a crowd" - ahhh ). But bereaved or traumatised I was not.
It was not mentioned when we went back to school. Suspect these days a big fuss would be made. It is certainly a big change in society.

I just find it unbelievable reading the article about Anne Atkins,what kind oof world is that woman living in and to know that another person she information about is still walking free,abet in another country but there is no differance where he lives in my mind,and she is supposed to be an educated woman ? I think not !
Now that the Police are offically involved I feel sure a lot of people are awaiting for the early morning knock on the door and rightly so,I have noticed that Freddie Starr has kept a low profile since his name was mentioned and him claiming to be T-total I have the misfortune to have known him since his days when he was in The Delmont's and he was the most creepy person I have ever known,maybe he has changed over the years but I doubt it very much.

I have just been told that as well as an alleged Leeds fan punching Sheffield Wednesday's goalkeeper in the face and a range of other yobbish behaviour at the football match on Friday, the Leeds fans were chanting the praises of Jimmy Saville. There is still a long way to go, I'm sorry to say.

And the loathsome Kerry Katona had an 'inident' with Savile. I feel that it detracts from how awful the sitution is when every past 'celeb' and every 'celebwhohasn'tmanagedto makethe newsforatleattwoweeks'. I bet Katie Price is seething that she doesn't seem to have a tale to tell. Going back to what Jess said, something that has concerned me is how quickly counsellors are sent into schools etc when children have been touched [not literally] by some sort of tragedy. I do wonder if some of them weren't actually traumatised but then became so or felt guikty because they weren't. Sorry if it's insensitive of me to say this, but it's just a passing thought I've had over the years. [I'm not talking about Dunblane type tragedies etc].

This is absolutely awful. In many cases a 'vulnerable' person tells about abusive incidents simply because they cannot go to the authorities themselves. They either don't know that there are authorities (in the case of a child or a person with learning difficulties) or they are afraid to do so. Even if the person isn't considered to be 'vulnerable' they may tell another because they believe that person will know how to deal with it. How can this woman sleep at night, knowing what she does know? Especially when the perpetrator is still involved with young and vulnerable people albeit at a distance?

Thanks jane and when - It's mindboggling.

here's the link When

I see the loathsome Anne Atkins has jumped on board with an article in the Mail, saying she chose not to report a sex offender because he is a friend of the family. She gives her reasons and now says she will speak to the adult who disclosed this behaviour towards children years go. At first, I thought she had been misquoted, but no, she has written the article herself. Would put a link here, but my iPad won't oblige. It's front page headlines, if you feel like reading this revolting article.

I wonder how she, a sanctimonious christian, lives with the knowledge that she has prevented children outside her family circle from being protected from this man?

Jess, I am in agreement with you. I actually wonder whether our heavy handed approach to considering even the slightest contact that could be construed as sexual between a child and adult as a serious sexual attack by a paedophile is actually far more damaging to the young person involved than the actual event itself.

Do not get me wrong I am not suggesting that when a child complains about inappropriate contact they should be ignored, dismissed or the adult involved should not be made to face some formal procedure but I find myself thinking back to a couple of very brief minor inappropriate contact events in my childhood. A man I saw regularly at the swimming pool used to like playing with the children in the pool, he used to pick us up and hold us close before throwing us into the water. As an adult I realise he was holding us on his erection. I wasnt distressed, just puzzled and uncomfortable and I avoided him, but currently if I had told my mother, she would have reported it to the police, I would have been interviewed by carefully trained female police officers, I would have been seen by psychologists and councellors and the whole thing would have been built up is such a way that the response would be traumatising in a way the actual event that triggered it wasnt.

A serious sexual attack is something very different and should be treated very seriously

Why is it that I have never quite trusted Esther Rantzen? She's now bleating about possibly having to quit Childline thus freeing up paedos and abusers to do their dirty work in a world without her stewardship. Really? Isn't that a similar response to Freddy Star threatening a heart attack, if the accusations continue?

I think it was all different then. I hung around stage doors for autographs in my teens and guess would have been 'flattered' if one of the young men had flirted or made a move on me. But adult men should behave as adults and not take advantage of immature girls. What is being suggested is that when girls did want to complain that they had been taken advantage of things were hushed up...that is the bigger crime.

Oh goodness. I have been expecting this. Suspect the culture was well embedded in the days when Liz got her breasts grabbed. Lordy lordy.

I also loved Dave Lee Travis's radio show - and now he's been accused of molesting at least two women at the BBC (not underage, but young nevertheless).