BBC apologises and pledges inquiry into Jimmy Savile abuse claims
BBC director general George Entwistle has apologised following a wave of sexual abuse claims made against Sir Jimmy Savile and pledged to mount a ‘comprehensive examination of what went on’ following a police investigation.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Entwistle said: “The women involved here have gone through something awful, and something I deeply regret they should have had to go through, and I would like to apologise on behalf of the organisation to each and every one of them for what they've had to endure here.
“The way to deal with those is to make sure the police - who are the only properly constituted authority for dealing with criminal investigations - are allowed to make the examinations and inquiries they need to make.
“When the police have finished everything they have to do, and when they give me the assurance there is no danger of us in any way compromising or contaminating an investigation, I will take it further and ensure that any outstanding questions are answered properly.”
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Liz Kershaw and comedian Sandi Toksvig claim they were fondled and groped by male presenters at the BBC during the 1980s.