In the report, Dame Janet Smith, who was once a Court of Appeal judge, detailed how the late Savile, who is now known one of the nation’s most prolific sex offenders, was able to get away with sexually abusing girls and boys throughout his career.
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Smith said while some reports were made by staff about Savile’s conduct, these were never escalated due to a culture of “not complaining about anything”.
Liz Dux, a specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon Lawyers, who represents 168 victims, said: “All the Savile and Hall victims have ever wanted from this report is truth and accountability”.
Retired judge Dame Janet Smith finds that BBC star Sir Jimmy Savile carried out sexual assaults linked to corporation premises on 72 people.
As she presented her independent review Thursday, Dame Janet Smith called the reaction of the BBC to allegations of misconduct “illuminating”. “They must be condemned for their monstrous behavior”.
The victims of Savile in connection with his work at the BBC include eight people who were raped and one instance of an attempted rape.
The scandal burst into public view in 2012 when British police said Savile had abused hundreds of victims, mainly youngsters, over six decades until his death aged 84 in October 2011.
The review found that there was “some evidence” that Mr Beston knew some of the girls were under 16 but that he had denied it. Ted Beston is criticised for failing to report Savile’s behaviour to more senior members of staff.
But the final report says: “My answer is that I do not think there is any organisation that can be completely confident that it does not harbour a child abuser”.
The enquiry, set up by the BBC, found that the last known incident involving Savile occurred in 2006 during the final episode of Top of the Pops and urged the BBC to revisit its attitude to talent and the standards expected of them.
The youngest sexual assault survivor was 8 years old.
The review heard evidence that Savile would on occasion bring an entourage of middle-aged men with him to the studios.
Meanwhile, Tony Blackburn confirmed in a statement that the BBC had sacked him as a presenter because Smith had rejected his evidence on two past investigations into allegations made by the mother of a 15-year-old girl.
“Staff were reluctant to speak out to their managers because they felt it was not their place to do so”, she said.
Radio announcer Tony Blackburn “parted company” with the BBC, Lord Hall said Thursday, over the report.
“Usually, Savile either met the victim at the BBC or else he groomed the victim by offering the opportunity to attend the BBC before taking the victim elsewhere, often to his home or camper-van”, Dame Janet’s report on Savile reads.
Asked why the BBC sacked the DJ, and he said: “Look, put this in context”.
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“Sadly what is happening to me now seems to be entirely in keeping with the past BBC culture of whitewash and cover up”.
