Translated From: who was the uk’s “worst sex offender”
Discovered on: 2022-04-13 19:30:54
DJ, television presenter, gentleman in the service of the queen… and one of the worst sex offenders in the United Kingdom; this is the story of the infamous Jimmy Savile.
Everyone in the UK knew who Jimmy Savile was in one way or another. The charismatic driver had not only been the host of one of the most important musical programs on television, he had also become known for his multiple charity work and his closeness to Prince Charles, whom he even supported as a counselor during his divorce from the Princess Diana of Wales.
However, Savile’s name gained another magnitude after his death in 2011, when hundreds of cases of child sexual abuse were revealed by the press and investigated by the authorities. This is how this eccentric man, decorated by the queen and adored by the biggest stars in the music industry, was revealed for what he really was: one of the worst sex offenders in the history of the island.
Who was Jimmy Savile?
Born on October 31, 1926 in Leeds, James Wilson Vincent Savile grew up in a difficult environment plagued by the financial uncertainty and social conflicts of the world. After dropping out of school at age 14, Jimmy began a long list of jobs that would take him from the coal mines to the garbage dumps.
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In the late 1940s, Savile made his debut on the music scene serving as a DJ in the halls of the Gaurdbridge Hotel. Parallel to this career, the British also served as a professional wrestler, assistant and driver. Everything changed in 1956, when he was discovered by a Decca Records executive while working as a DJ in Illford. Two years later, Jimmy Savile hit the radio.
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In 1964, Savile was hired by the BBC to present the program Top of the Pops, which listed the musical successes of the moment. Although the program would be broadcast in black and white, James would transform his image to stand out among the gray scales: he bleached his hair, began to wear outlandish clothes of all colors and behaved like a rebel ready to end the boring almost official scene. of the programs of the time. The rest is history.
TV icon, friend of the Beatles and charity hero
From 1964 to 1984, Jimmy Savile took British viewers on a weekly journey through music. While Top of the Pops was confirmed as one of the favorites of the public, Savile became one of the most important figures in the industry. They all wanted to be his friend; everyone was looking for a place in his show, from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones.
Thanks to this, the television host was able to pursue what, according to what he said, was one of his great motivations: to help others. In addition to creating the show Jim’ll Fix It, where he tried to ‘fulfill the wishes’ of his audience, Jimmy associated himself with multiple institutions and associations that he could support with donations. Among those to benefit the most from Savile’s actions were Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Broadmoor Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary.
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Although his work on television and radio made everyone fall at his feet, it was his philanthropic work that made him an idol of the people. In 1990, Pope John Paul II named him Knight Commander of Saint Gregory the Great; months later, Queen Elizabeth ordained him as a Knight in the Service of the British Crown.
With the arrival of the new millennium, Sir. James Savile decided to retire and await his death. This came on October 29, 2011, when he was 84 years old. The media lamented his departure, Prince Charles – who had become friends with Savile after meeting him at a charity event and to whom he went for advice during his marital crisis – showed his pain and a gap was formed between the British viewers. A few weeks were enough for the laments to turn into consternation, the pain into oblivion and the hollow into rage.
What did Jimmy Savile do?
This section addresses issues related to child sexual abuse. Discretion is advised.
Following Savile’s passing, old stories about the driver’s behavior began to surface. One of the most notable was an accusation of child sexual abuse reported in 1963 and discarded by the authorities when they did not find enough evidence to corroborate the statements of the then minor.
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The complaint had also been buried by the media, making the possible dangers of Savile surrounding himself with children an open secret. John Lyndon, lead singer of The Sex Pistols and Public Image LTD, was even banned from the BBC after speaking about the rumors surrounding Savile: “I think he’s a hypocrite. I bet he’s into all sorts of sordid things that we all know about but aren’t allowed to talk about. I know some rumours.” Said fragment of the interview was eliminated and hidden by the radio station until his rescue in 2013.
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Savile’s death breathed new life into the gloomy stories being told about him, prompting a group of BBC reporters to investigate the allegations. Three months later, Newsnight journalists Meirion Jones and Liz MacKean managed to get one victim to speak on camera and others to agree to tell their stories. However, the chain blocked the investigation. Weeks later, in the middle of Christmas, the BBC broadcast two tributes to Jimmy Savile.
The worst sex offender in UK history
In January 2012, various newspapers published that the BBC had censored the accusations against Jimmy Savile. This only made the general public aware of the case and others interested in addressing it. In September of the year, the iTV network published a documentary revealing that Savile had abused or raped 10 women in the 1960s; one of them was under 14 years old at the time of the crime.
Following the broadcast of the programme, the Metropolitan Police launched a UK-wide investigation to search for possible victims. By October, authorities were already pursuing more than 200 reports; the following month, the number had already increased to more than 450. According to official documents, Savile took advantage of his visits to hospitals and charity centers to select his victims and abuse them. He did the same on his show, where he surrounded himself with young women whom he touched and later raped.
After months of investigation, the police counted more than 400 crimes between 1955 and 2009. The ages of the victims ranged between 8 and 47 years of age; with a predilection for women between 13 and 16 years old. Police also found that BBC CEO George Entwistle went to great lengths to bury the story and save the reputation of Savile and the company itself.
Who knew about Jimmy Savile’s crimes?
When Jimmy Savile’s past was investigated, multiple anecdotes came to light in which it could be seen that many knew about the television host’s problems.
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For example, it was learned that the government of Margaret Thatcher – who had formed a great friendship with Savile – received an anonymous letter anticipating the publication of accusations of victims of child sexual abuse if the television star was decorated with a title of Knight. It was also uncovered that hospitals had reports of Jimmy’s prohibited conduct, with a nurse claiming that Savile engaged in necrophilia with corpses from the Leeds General Hospital morgue.
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The BBC was also criticized for keeping any complaints or allegations secret. “The real story is their victims and how they were let down by the BBC, the Department of Health, the Conservative Party, the Catholic Church, the police forces, local councils and libel laws. A monster provided a dazzling shield by the British establishment,” said presenter Mark Lawson, who was privy to the British Broadcasting Corporation’s cover-up techniques.
Today, more than a decade after his death, Jimmy Savile is known as one of the worst sexual predators in the history of the United Kingdom.
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Originally posted 2022-04-25 16:25:11.
