Jimmy Savile

Agreed, FlicketyB, which is why I, and others who have posted their experiences on this thread, kept it to ourselves rather than 'make a fuss'. I can't believe, thinking back now, how it was just accepted then that some men just behaved like that.

I don't agree that we cannot judge wrong-doing by today's standards. Child abuse was always wrong, however people made light of it. The people who were damaged by it did not think it was funny. This was exactly the excuse used by the catholic church - that they did not realise it was damaging the poor victims.
In living memory, the mention of rape in the House of Commons would be greeted by sniggers and catcalls. It was not right then and it is not right now.
Should we forgive the Nazis because anti-semitism was rife in the 1930's? There are some basic human rights which should never be violated and the right not to be sexually abused is one of them.

There seems to be an awful lot of hindsight about many people's comments. There are plenty of creepy and peculiar people about - and we have all come across them in our time. It doesnt, however, follow that because they are creepy they must be paedophiles. There are plenty who arent.

We are also forgetting how knowledge and attitudes to paedophilia have changed in the last 25 years or so. When I was in my 20s and 30s the world was awash with vicar and choir boy jokes and society as a whole had no comprehension of the extent or devastating effects of paedophilia.

Many of the accusations against Jimmy Saville - and the cover-ups, date back to a time when attitudes were very different. I am not defending Jimmy Saville, if he did what he did then it was behaviour beyond the pale at any time and he should have been prosecuted. But from all the jokes and inuendos of the period I think if most people thought about what they were referring to in them, and I doubt many did, it was in terms of inappropriate pawing and language certainly not rape or serious sexual assault.

We cannot judge peoples actions 25 or 30 years ago by current standards. It is worth bearing in mind that 20 or 30 years from now we will be being condemned for some attitude we have now which we find perfectly acceptable and which 30 years from now will be considered abhorrent.

Oh FGS!

" I wouldn't be surprised if numerous women have suffered abuse from famous actors, pop, stars and sportsmen."

"I bet there's some very nervous showbiz people worrying about the next knock on the door."

Happy now?

I am not criticising those posts.

Jingle, if you make such a comment you should be prepared to back it up. We have had our fill of vague allegations. Which posts implied that all celebrities were child molesters?

Greatnan - there are a couple of posts, which I'm not going to single out.

The "where on earth" bit is a little bit overdone.

Even to the point of making himself totally physically repulsive! Along with his comments about hating children [though he admitted as much in his programme with Lois Theroux]. I also read that he didn't have a computer..again a man with a very high IQ using his intellect to outwit the system.

One of the interesting things about JS - and sorry if i have missed someone else making this point, is that he presented himself as a very non-sexual creature with his weird hair and his silly persona.

Julian Pettifer.

I fell asleep part way through, but was confused as to why the one woman continued to get into Savile's car knowing what was going to happen. As for Ms Ranzen, it does seem that, at time like, these ex 'celebs' seem happy to reappear and have a few more minutes of fame. On the subject of celebs and children I saw a programme on BBC4 where two children were interviewing Kenny Everett and it was one of the most charming interviews I've ever come across. I never quite forgave him after his appearance at the Conservative Party Conference, but I had forgotten how funny he was. As I was doing quite a lot of channel hopping last night,I did find myself laughing out loud whenever I switched over to one of his old shows. As for husbands [or in my case ex husbands] mine thought it funny to, one night on his way to the pub, get his mate to phone me up and breathe heavily into the phone [obviously knowing I was alone at the time]. And, when I came back from a craft fair [I had the children with me that day as well] he also couldn't understand why I was upset that, as I was stood at a stall a man standing behind me suddenly stood very close and started whispering awful, digusting things into my ear. All I did was gather the children together and leave..didn't even mention it to the security guards.

And Pete Townshend who will always now be tarred with the brush with which he foolishly decided to paint himself.

Of course there was the egregious Jonathan King – who also always seemed a bit creepy – and there was some radio DJ, I think, who was jailed somewhere in Eastern Europe for sexual abuse of boys. Someone has already mentioned Gary Glitter. Celebrities have opportunities as well as a level of "protection" that other abusers don't.

jingle - where on earth do you read into any of our posts that we are tarring all celebs with the same brush? I mentioned Oliver Reed an Bill Wyman whose affairs with under-age girls were common knowledge. Otherwise, only Saville has been mentioned.

Yes. Agree Merlotgran.

I struggled to stay awake during Exposure last night but I was impressed with the witnesses (those who were not represented by actors). They gave a calm and credible account of what happened to them unlike Esther Rantzen who gave a gala performance

find - not dind!

I agree with petallus. I can't walk in the countryside alone. (apart from the fact that I would never dind my way home)

I have to say, I think most of the 'top' stars and celebs are decent people and have respect for their fans. My DD and her friends have met quite a few and they have been 'genuine' enough. We mustn't tar all with the same brush. JS always did seem a bit creepy.

Bags that must have been ^terrifying*! Stupid police too! (in this case)

I do feel completely comfortable walking alone in my very isolated mountains. The chance of the very occasional walker I meet (they rarely have dogs with them) being intent on raping an old woman are very slim. I would be much less comfortable walking in a town.
I was incensed when some newspapers, and some policemen, said that Peter Sutcliffe had finally chosen to murder an 'innocent' woman - as though prostitutes deserved their fate. I know that most 'working girls' do not bother to report assault or rape because they know the response they will get. The public face of the police may have changed, but the canteen culture has not moved on very much from the 1950's. (Yes , I do speak from knowledge - a nephew left the force because he could not stand the attitudes of most of his colleagues.) Ask any young black man.

It's a funny old world, especially the relationship between the sexes. How many women are entirely comfortable going for walks by themselves in remote places, for instance? Why is it women have to fear men for no real reason except that a smallish percentage of them might suddenly decide to rape/kill a complete stranger and you never know who the smallish percent is going to be?

When my daughter and I are walking the dogs in the woods used mainly by dog walkers we always feel nervous if a lone man comes into view WITHOUT A DOG. Sometimes men just seem to loom out of the bushes. Then if we spot a dog, we know we are alright.

And that's not even mentioning all the dodgy male relatives/friends who think they can molest girls/women.

I can imagine how frightening that was Bags. I was followed home one evening for several hundred yards. I could hear the man cross over the road when I did, and as I got nervous and walked faster he did, too. I glanced at him and could only see a man with a baseball cap on. By the time I got to the road I lived on, I started to run and so did he, then as I tore up my path, he shouted 'night, Carol!' It was a neighbour I didn't really know, a man with a wife and three children who had moved in a couple of months before. He seemed to think it was a funny thing to do. I was so angry and upset, and when I recounted the story to my husband, he grinned! The neighbour didn't apologise or explain when I confronted him the next day, but just said 'I thought you knew it was only me!' I said 'you are a jerk. Don't ever do that to anyone again!' I don't think he got it at all.

The good news from that story is that one of the male dancers at the club who also cycled would cycle home with me after that even though he lived on the opposite side of Sheffield from me. Or, if I went by bus because of bad weather, he would see me onto the bus. He was married and so was I so it was pure kindness on his part. I appreciated it then and I still do.

I had a frightening experience when I was twenty-three. I was cycling home from a Scottish Dance class on main roads through Sheffield. It was after ten o'clock at night, but not terribly late. A van driver overtook me. He had the passenger side window down. He slowed down as he over took to keep pace with me and asked if I wanted a lift. I ignored him and carried on cycling. He went ahead but must have done a loop because it happened again. And again. I memorised the registration number.

I was frightened. Especially as I wasn't able to cycle up the steep hill we lived on but had to push the bike up it. We had no telephone so I went to a public phone box round the corner from where we lived and called the police. I was shaking.

The police caught up with him and 'had a chat'. He apparently said it was "just a joke". They let him off and came to tell me this. I was furious!!

And not just because I had been badly frightened and thought he should receive more than a mild reprimand for his behaviour, but because the Yorkshire Ripper was still at large at this time!!!!!!

Crass, stupid, uncaring police behaviour! But that was the attitude. Being terrified out of your wits by a man when a murderer was on the loose was nothing apparently.

Thank goodness attitudes are changing.

Love to all who have suffered abuse.

Apparently the plaque outside Jimmy Savile's home in Scarborough has been removed after graffiti appeared during the night. is someone watching over that monstrous grave, I wonder.

I have just started to watch the programme. I don't know if I will watch it all.

I think you're right Nonny I don't think it will end here.