Leaked report slams BBC culture of sexual misconduct

A leaked draft report into sexual abuse cases of former BBC TV presenter and Radio host, Jimmy Savile has criticized the then prevailing culture of pedophile’s misconduct at the corporation.

News site Exaro has published the report by Dame Janet Smith into Savile's wrongdoings at the BBC. The findings, which is expected to officially release in six weeks, accuse the media network of having "untouchable stars" and "above the law" managers.

Meanwhile, Dame Janet's team has expressed disappointment over the publication of "early draft" saying the document had gone through changes in its contents and conclusion.

"The review will work with the BBC to arrange publication of its final report as quickly as possible to ensure that accurate and responsible reporting can take place," it said.

The United Kingdom has witnessed a surge in child molestation and sexual abuse cases, some of which go back to the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and involving churches, media personalities and politicians.

According to the leak draft, Savile raped and sexually abused victims as young as nine and was caught on camera for his obscenity at least once while working for the media giant.

The report reveals some 61 incidents of sexual assaults taking place in the premise Savile worked in. It criticizes the BBC for failing to examine Savile's personality critically despite wide range of rumors about him.

The BBC chief has tried to play down the publication of findings. "What happened was a dark chapter in the history”, Lord Hall has been quoted as saying. "The responsible thing must be to act on the final report which we have not received."

BBC was also at the center of controversy over the scandal involving Savile with hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse and rape of minors. The scandal made public one year after Savile’s death in 2001, leading the police to believe that he was one of Britain's most predatory sex offenders.

In October 2012, the BBC set up a review under Dame Janet in order to carry out an impartial investigation of the corporation's culture and practices during 1964 and 2007, the years it employed Savile.

According to Exaro, Dame Janet does not believe the BBC can be criticized for not uncovering Savile "sexual deviancy".

The report is said to include “devastating detail” of the corporation’s “sheer scale of awareness” of the late star’s activities.“Savile would seize the opportunity for sexual contact even in public places such as corridors, staircases and canteens.”

Some analysts say the revelation is a huge embarrassment for the BBC.

"What this report says is a huge of cover-up on its management. The report does not blame the BBC as such but it alleges the management of getting away with abuse of children. He [Savile] was one of the biggest stars the BBC had and nobody could do anything. One of the lawyers of the victims said that 56 witnesses had actually spoken up at the time of abuses and nobody gave them any attention, nobody took them seriously because Jimmy Savile they said was untouchable. We have to go further on that as this man abused children not only at the BBC but at hospitals, at charities and nobody did anything to stop him", Javier Farje, a London-based editor and commentator told Press TV .        

A BBC staff has also confirmed the details saying he found many of the quotes in Exaro's article similar to those he told to the review committee during his own investigations.

The leaked report, which Exaro said was completed more than a year ago, should come with "a lot of health warnings", the BBC's media and arts correspondent David Sillito said.

The report is separate from yet another inquiry formally launched by the British government last year into child sexual abuse in England and Wales.

New Zealand judge Lowell Goddard was appointed to lead inquiry. No time limit has been set but the inquiry is likely to run for years and could see millions of dollars expenditure.  

Justice Goddard, who previously led an inquiry into police handling of child abuse cases in her own country, has said she hopes to complete the job in the UK within five years. 

"This kind of inquiry doesn’t lead to a legal prosecution. That’s the problem with such an inquiry. The committee that conducts these inquiries does not have power to arrest people who are responsible and they don’t put blame on anyone, they just explain the situation. Some of the politicians [involved in sexual abuse] just died so they will never face justice" Farje, told Press TV .  

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