Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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===Aborted ''Newsnight'' report===

Savile died on 29 October 2011, aged 84. He was reportedly found with a smile on his face and his fingers crossed.<ref name="Harmes">{{cite book |last=Davies|first=Dan |date=2014 |title=In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/In_Plain_Sight/1iFhBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=jimmy+savile+fingers+crossed&pg=PT7&printsec=frontcover |location=[[Lanham, Maryland]] |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |page=1 |isbn= 978-1442232853 |access-date=9 April 2024 }}</ref> At the time of his death and funeral in [[Leeds Cathedral]], he was widely praised for his charity and voluntary activities as well as his entertainment work.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15507374 |title=DJ and TV presenter Jimmy Savile dies, aged 84 |publisher=BBC News |date=29 October 2011 |access-date=16 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-15647363 |title=Sir Jimmy Savile's funeral takes place at Leeds Cathedral |publisher=BBC News |date=9 November 2011 |access-date=16 October 2012}}</ref>

Immediately after Savile's death, [[Meirion Jones]] and [[Liz Mackean]] from the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Newsnight]]'' began to investigate reports that he had sexually abused children. They interviewed one alleged victim on camera and talked to others who were willing to be quoted about alleged abuse at Duncroft Approved School, the BBC, and [[Stoke Mandeville Hospital]]. The former headmistress of Duncroft was Jones' own aunt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/jimmy-savile/9623803/Jimmy-Savile-Newsnight-producer-is-nephew-of-abuse-school-headmistress.html|title=Jimmy Savile: Newsnight producer is nephew of abuse school headmistress |date=21 October 2012|work=The Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022005024/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/jimmy-savile/9623803/Jimmy-Savile-Newsnight-producer-is-nephew-of-abuse-school-headmistress.html|archive-date=22 October 2012|access-date=12 May 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''Newsnight'' team, which included former police detective [[Mark Williams-Thomas]], also found out about a 2009 [[Surrey Police]] investigation into Savile. The report was scheduled for broadcast on 7 December 2011, but a decision was taken to cancel its transmission, which ultimately developed into a major crisis for the BBC when the allegations against Savile were made public in October 2012. The subsequent [[Nick Pollard|Pollard Review]] found that Jones and MacKean had assembled cogent evidence that Savile had a history of abusing young women and ''Newsnight'' had been in a position to break the story in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=BBC releases Pollard report into axed Jimmy Savile Newsnight investigation|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/19/bbc-report-jimmy-savile-newsnight|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 December 2012}}</ref> In November 2021, Mark Williams-Thomas spoke to [[GB News]] calling the BBC's treatment of the allegations "absolutely appalling".<ref>{{Citation |title=Jimmy Savile: BBC treatment of allegations 'absolutely appalling', says journalist who exposed him |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy6CP2tLKDA |language=en |access-date=2022-04-12}}</ref>