Giving Victims a Voice
| Giving Victims a Voice | |
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Report cover
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| Ratified | 2013 |
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Giving Victims a Voice is a report published in January 2013, relating to allegations of sexual abuse made against English DJ and BBC Television presenter Jimmy Savile (1926–2011) as part of the Operation Yewtree criminal investigation. It was initiated as a result of publicity surrounding the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) jointly produced this report. It marked the end of investigations made under the operation regarding Savile alone.
The scandal resulted in hundreds of alleged victims of Savile and other abusers approaching the police and the NSPCC. Their claims were investigated and formed the basis of the report, which found that Savile's alleged offences were committed across England and Scotland, in hospitals, prison facilities, schools and BBC premises. Offences were reported between 1955 and 2009, totalling 214 alleged offences across 28 police forces. The most frequent alleged offending coincided with Savile's peak celebrity status. Numbers of alleged victims totalled 450, of whom 328 were minors at the time. They were aged between 8 and 47 years, majority being 13–16.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) described the report as marking a "watershed moment" and apologised for "shortcomings" in the handling of prior abuse claims. The report's publication resulted in some highlighting what could be systemic failure because of the number of complainants and institutions identified, but others criticised it for treating allegations as facts. The DPP's Principal Legal Advisor concluded that Savile could have been prosecuted for offences against at least three victims during his lifetime. After the report, investigations were further initiated in other hospitals. Ex-Metropolitan Police Commissioner Peter Spindler (who had previously led Operation Yewtree) estimated that there may be many more victims who had not come forward.
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