TW: Mentions of sexual assault
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In October of 2020 the BBC announced a mini-series titled the Reckoning covering Jimmy's rise to fame and the abuse scandal that ensued after his death. It is set to release today, 9 October.
Who is Jimmy Savile?
Jimmy Savile is considered one of Britain's most prolific sexual offenders. It is estimated that he preyed on around 500 victims in hospitals, children’s hospitals and BBC’s broadcasting studios. How does someone who had been knighted by both the Queen and the Pope reach such astronomical heights of success while leveraging this position to commit some of the most heinous acts imaginable?
Savile's career
Jimmy Savile started his career as the manager of a dance hall in Manchester where incidentally his first case of abuse was later recorded by the police. He was then a DJ at Radio Luxembourg in 1958 and secured his first television role as presenter of Tyne Tees Young at Heart. Afterward, he transitioned to presenting Top of the Pops in 1964 where he began to amass a wide audience. In 1968, he joined BBC’s Radio 1, where he presented a weekly program he dubbed Savile’s Travels where he roamed around the UK talking to the public. In 1969, Savile co-hosted the New Musical Express Poll Winners concert, a yearly televised event with acts such as The Beatles, The Who and Cliff Richards among others.
A well-crafted persona
With each advancement in his career, Savile was meticulously crafting a public persona that would be further loved by the British public. He began focusing his efforts on philanthropy. Savile created two charities; the Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust in 1981, and the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust in 1984 in Leeds. Through this work Savile became a friend to Margaret Thatcher, it was estimated that he raised £40 million for charity including hospitals Stoke Mandeville and Broadmore. In 1989 he met then Prince Charles, now King, through his charity work.
Savile’s previously mentioned work with hospitals made him someone the royal could rely on for advice on navigating Britain's health authorities. Savile grew in contact with more of the Royal Family members and began acting as an unofficial advisor to Prince Charles on how royals should respond to disasters.
As he surrounded himself with powerful figures, Savile continued to live a double life as rumors about his abuse started surfacing.Margaret Thatcher even faced resistance while attempting to award him Knightship in 1980 ‘due to concerns about his private life'. More specifically, Thatcher received an anonymous letter stating that ‘reports of a pedophilia nature’ might emerge.
Jimmy's Savile's death
Jimmy Savile died on 29 October 2011 at his penthouse in Leeds, he had been hospitalized for pneumonia and no foul play was found in regards to his passing. His satin gold coffin was displayed at the Queens Hotel in Leeds along with the last cigar he smoked and his two books. His funeral was held in Leeds Cathedral on 9 November 2011 and he was buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough.
The truth uncovered
Soon after his death, the BBCprogram Newsnight began an investigation into Savile’s sexual abuse. An alleged victim was interviewed while other victims agreeing to tell their stories on camera, however, the program was never released. Inquiries into practices at the BBC and NHS were launched in December of 2011. In 2012, Richard Harrison, a nurse at Broadmoor Hospital stated that:
Savile was regarded as a man with severe personality disorder and a liking for children.
Bob Allen, another nurse alleged:
A lot of staff said he should be behind bars
Allen added that he reported Savile’s improper conduct with a juvenile but no action was taken. It wasn’t until 28 September 2012 that ITV announced a documentary The Other Side of Jimmy Savile containing claims of upwards of 10 women that they had been sexually assaulted by Savile in the 70s and 80s. The documentary was broadcast on October 3rd; two weeks later police across the UK were pursuing over 400 lines of inquiry based on 200 witnesses.
As the investigations progressed police reported that the number of potential victims came close to 300, an unprecedented scale. The fallout from these investigations would result in the disbandment of the two charities Savile had founded, the removal of episodes of his shows, his statue at Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow, his memorial plaques, and the renaming of streets and conference center at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.
A harrowing legacy
In 2013 the NSPCC and the metropolitan police released a joint report stating that over 450 people had brought forward complaints against Savile including 28 children under the age of 10, and 63 girls aged between 13 and 16. It was recorded that he committed 214 criminal offenses and 34 rapes.
Read more:
⋙ Prince Andrew: What's next for him now the sexual assault case is closed?
⋙ Kevin Spacey facing charges for sexually assaulting three men in the UK
⋙ Queen's Cousin Has Been Charged for Sexual Assault
Sources:
BBC: Profile: Jimmy Savile
The Guardian: Jimmy Savile: timeline of his sexual abuse and its uncovering
inews.co.uk: When did Jimmy Savile die? A timeline of how the sex offender’s crimes were exposed after his death aged 84
