A leaked draft of a report investigating the misconduct of Jimmy Savile at the BBC has revealed that he raped and s**ually abused children as young as nine.
The report, conducted by Dame Janet Smith, was published by investigative news site Exaro.
Savile, a former television presenter and entertainer, was exposed as a prolific s**ual predator and paedophile after his death in 2011.
The leaked findings from the report highlight multiple incidents of rape and indecent assault on boys and girls, as well as inappropriate s**ual conduct with teenagers over the age of 16.
These acts were all connected to Savile’s time at the BBC.
Shockingly, three of Savile’s victims were only nine years old.
According to the report, Smith criticizes the BBC for fostering a “very deferential culture” where employees were aware of Savile’s predatory reputation but were too afraid to report their concerns to managers.
The report also warns that there could still be a child abuser within the BBC who remains undiscovered.
However, Smith accepts the denials of senior figures who claim they were unaware of Savile’s misconduct.
She states that most of Savile’s rapes and serious s**ual offenses occurred in his flats and caravans, but there were incidents at almost every BBC premise where he worked.
The leaked report also reveals that employees at the BBC are now more afraid than ever to blow the whistle on wrongdoing, and it criticizes the management culture that treated celebrities with “kid gloves” while managers drank heavily.
Witnesses described the BBC as very deferential, with many feeling that the management culture was too lenient and that some executives were “above the law.”
Smith also highlights the fact that the honours committee advised then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher against recommending Savile for a knighthood due to public warning signs about his behavior, even though the BBC failed to recognize them.
The Dame Janet Smith review expressed disappointment about Exaro’s decision to publish the leaked draft, stating that it is out of date and significant changes have been made to its contents.
The review will work with the BBC to arrange the publication of the final report as quickly as possible.
Tony Hall, the BBC’s Director General, acknowledged that what happened with Savile was a dark chapter in the history of the BBC.
He stated that Dame Janet Smith’s report will be crucial in understanding what happened and preventing such incidents from occurring again.
The final report is expected to be published within six weeks.
