The Reckoning: A Timeline of Jimmy Savile’s Horrific s** Crimes
A new documentary titled The Reckoning is set to be released on October 9, shedding light on the heinous s** crimes committed by former BBC DJ, Jimmy Savile.
The documentary aims to unravel how Savile managed to evade punishment for his crimes for such an extended period of time.
In order to understand how he was eventually found out, let’s take a look at the timeline of events.
2011:
– October 29: Jimmy Savile passes away at the age of 84.
– November: BBC Newsnight launches an investigation into historical allegations following Savile’s death.
They discover that the Surrey case, involving alleged indecent assault at Duncroft School in 2009, was dropped due to Savile’s advanced age.
– November 11: The BBC pays tribute to Savile with a show dedicated to him.
– December 1: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon instructs reporter Meirion Jones to stop working on the investigation, claiming it lacks sufficient evidence to proceed without confirmation of the case being dropped because of Savile’s age.
– December 9: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) informs Jones that they did not pursue the Surrey case due to insufficient evidence, denying any influence from Savile’s status as a former BBC DJ.
Jones reluctantly accepts the BBC’s decision to abandon the story.
2012:
– January 8: The Sunday Mirror reports that the cancellation of the Newsnight show was due to a clash with the tribute program.
– October: Operation Yewtree, a criminal investigation focused on s**ual abuse allegations against Savile and other prominent figures, is launched in response to numerous complaints.
– October 3: ITV airs a program called Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, which exposes the crimes committed by Savile.
– October 8: BBC director-general George Entwistle appears on the Today program and receives an email from Newsnight reporter Liz Mackean expressing her dissatisfaction with the handling of the Savile story.
– October 17: The BBC appoints Dame Janet Smith to investigate the culture at the BBC during the time Savile worked there in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
– October 22: Panorama broadcasts a special titled Jimmy Savile: What The BBC Knew.
– October 23: Entwistle is summoned to appear before the culture, media, and sport select committee.
– November 10: Entwistle resigns following the committee meeting.
2013:
– January 11: Scotland Yard releases a report, in collaboration with the NSPCC, revealing Savile’s extensive history as a “prolific predatory” s** offender.
The report documents 214 criminal offenses spanning from 1955 to 2009, with 73% of the victims being children.
It highlights how Savile was able to operate undetected due to his fame.
– Operation Yewtree expands its investigation to include other TV personalities from Savile’s era.
2014:
– June 26: A report on Savile’s actions in NHS hospitals across the UK is presented to then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The report exposes Savile’s long history of assaulting victims in NHS hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary, where 60 people, including staff and patients, reported abuse.
Savile had boasted about performing s**ual acts on the bodies of deceased individuals in the hospital’s mortuary, although this claim could not be substantiated.
2015:
– February 26: Another report reveals that Savile s**ually abused over 50 people at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire.
This included staff, patients, and visitors, with one victim being just eight years old.
The report states that Savile was widely known as a “s** pest” at the hospital, but no action was taken to report him despite 10 complaints being made.
Barrister Kate Lampard’s report emphasizes that Savile’s ability to continue his activities was facilitated by fragmented hospital management, societal attitudes of the time, and less intrusive media reporting.
2016:
– February: Dame Janet Smith’s report exposes missed opportunities by BBC staff to prevent Savile from committing s**ual offenses.
The review identifies 72 victims, the youngest of whom was 10 years old.
The report reveals misconduct at nearly every BBC premises where Savile worked.
It also highlights how some BBC staff were aware of complaints but failed to escalate them due to a culture of not complaining within the corporation.
The timeline above provides a comprehensive overview of how Jimmy Savile’s horrific s** crimes were eventually exposed.
It took years for the truth to emerge, with investigations, reports, and revelations gradually uncovering the extent of Savile’s abuse.
The upcoming documentary, The Reckoning, promises to delve deeper into this dark chapter in British broadcasting history.
