British showbiz legend Jimmy Savile with one of his trademark cigars. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images
INSTITUTIONAL chaos and confusion - but not a cover-up - were to blame for the BBC's disastrous handling of paedophilia allegations involving one of its best-known children's television personalities, an internal review has found.
The report was released on the same day that detectives investigating the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal arrested a man in his 70s.
The review absolved BBC executives of trying to bury a potentially embarrassing story, saying that weak management and poor leadership were to blame for the fact that a planned expose about the TV star never aired.
When a rival TV network later broadcast a similar expose about Savile, the BBC came under fire for both harbouring an alleged serial sex abuser for decades and for killing its own story about him.
The internal review, carried out by former Sky News television boss Nick Pollard, said the BBC was thrown into disarray when allegations that the late Savile was a serial sex predator were made public, taking more than a month to get a handle on the situation.
The scandal has since metastasised, tainting the reputation of the BBC - the British broadcaster known worldwide for its news and entertainment divisions. It also forced the resignation of the BBC's brand new director-general, George Entwhistle, and raised questions about its former leader, Mark Thompson, who has since become chief executive at The New York Times.
Gary Glitter returns home in London after being questioned by British police as they probe the mountain of sexual abuse allegations against Jimmy Savile.
The scandal took on greater dimensions when it emerged that the BBC had cancelled an initial investigation into Savile over the objections of its reporters, raising questions about whether senior executives tried to bury the story to protect the corporation's reputation.
The report published today absolves the executives of that - the most serious - charge.
In the review, Mr Pollard asked: "Did any inappropriate managerial pressure or consideration influence the decision ... not to run the Savile story?"
"The answer is no," he wrote, noting that while there had been conversations between Mark Rippon, who led the BBC's initial investigation into Savile, and two senior executives, "I do not believe either of them exerted undue pressure on him."
The BBC announced that its deputy director of news, Steve Mitchell - who was among those criticised - had resigned in the wake of the report. Other members of staff still faced a variety of disciplinary actions or were moving to new jobs, the corporation said.
British comedian and TV personality Freddie Starr has been hauled in by police as part of the investigation.
The report does not appear to challenge Thompson's account of his role in the scandal.
Since the ITV documentary, scores of women have come forward, alleging that they were abused by Savile when they were underage, sometimes in BBC dressing rooms. Police say Savile is a suspect in 199 crimes recorded so far, including dozens of cases of rape.
Another arrest made in Savile investigation
Meanwhile. a man, from London, was held at 6.30am local time on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to a south London police station.
He was arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, the investigation into allegations of sex abuse surrounding Savile and others, Scotland Yard said on Wednesday.
The man is the eighth person to be arrested by Yewtree detectives.
Other high-profile names include former pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and publicist Max Clifford.
On Monday, Starr and Clifford were rebailed to return on dates in February and March pending further inquiries.
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, and a man in his 70s were previously rebailed to dates in February.
Last week, police said a total of 31 allegations of rape have been made against Savile so far.
Some 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal, with a total of 450 complaints against the BBC presenter and DJ himself, mainly alleging sexual abuse, Scotland Yard said.
Ten weeks after the launch of Operation Yewtree, police have recorded 199 crimes in 17 force areas in which Savile is a suspect, with 31 allegations of rape recorded against him in seven force areas.
Officers are looking at three strands within their inquiry: claims against Savile, those against Savile and others (which applies to the latest arrest), and those against others.
Police and the NSPCC are compiling a report, which it is hoped will be published in the new year, to provide an overview of Savile's activities.
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