Operation Yewtree

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Geographical locations of the reported offences according to Giving Victims a Voice, a report of the investigations

Operation Yewtree was a British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against the English media personality Jimmy Savile and others. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police Service (Met), started in October 2012. After a period of assessment, it became a full criminal investigation, involving inquiries into living people, notably other celebrities,[1] as well as Savile, who had died the previous year.

The report of the investigations into the activities of Savile himself was published, as Giving Victims a Voice, in January 2013. Operation Yewtree continued as an investigation into others, some, but not all, linked with Savile. By October 2015, 19 people had been arrested by Operation Yewtree;[2] seven of these arrests led to convictions. The "Yewtree effect" has been credited for an increase in the number of reported sex crimes,[3] while the operation also sparked a debate on police procedure and rights of those accused of sex crimes.

Background[edit]

Jimmy Savile in July 2006

An ITV documentary, Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, researched and presented by former police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, was broadcast on 3 October 2012, almost a year after Savile's death. The programme contained several allegations by women who said that, as teenagers, they had been sexually abused by radio and television personality Jimmy Savile, who had gained access to them through the television programmes he had presented and his charity work.[4] Following the broadcast, many other people came forward to make allegations about Savile's conduct towards young people, including sexual abuse that had taken place on BBC premises and in hospitals to which Savile had access.[5]

Initial assessments[edit]

On 4 October 2012, the Metropolitan Police said it would take the national lead in a process of assessing the allegations.[6][7] The assessment was undertaken by the Serious Case Team of the service's Child Abuse Investigation Command, led by Detective Superintendent David Gray working closely with the BBC. The police said, "Our priority will be to ensure a proportionate and consistent policing response putting the victims at the heart of our enquiries", and that "it is not an investigation at this stage".[6]

The Metropolitan Police announced on 9 October that the inquiry into the allegations would be called Operation Yewtree, and would be undertaken jointly with the NSPCC. The police had formally recorded eight allegations against Savile, but announced they were following 120 lines of inquiry, covering up to 25 victims of abuse, mainly girls aged between 13 and 16. The allegations covered four decades, from 1959 until the 1980s, and were on "a national scale". Commander Peter Spindler, head of specialist crime investigations,[8] said, "At this stage it is quite clear from what women are telling us that Savile was a predatory sex offender."[9]

"Yewtree" was chosen from a list of names which are intended to be neutral and unrelated to each particular case. This system, dating back to the 1980s, is used for operations which are started to handle specific crimes, as opposed to more general, pro-active operations with names connected to their intent.[10]

Criminal investigation[edit]

Max Clifford after his December 2012 arrest

The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation on 19 October 2012 as, in addition to the historic allegations of child sex abuse by Savile, there were "lines of inquiry involving living people that require formal investigation".[11] The criminal investigations within Operation Yewtree were led by Detective Chief Inspector Michael Orchard as the Senior Investigating Officer and overseen by Chief Superintendent Keith Niven, head of the Metropolitan Police's child abuse investigation command,[12] and by December 2012, 30 officers were involved with the case.[13] Noting that the operation was "dealing with alleged abuse on an unprecedented scale" and that it "empowered a staggering number of victims to come forward to report the sexual exploitation which occurred during their childhood",[14][15] Commander Peter Spindler said that: "We are dealing with a major criminal investigation. This is a watershed moment for child abuse investigations and Yewtree will be a landmark investigation."[12] The operation follows three strands: allegations against Savile, allegations against Savile and others, and allegations just involving others.[16] On 11 December, the Metropolitan Police stated that the investigation of the abuse undertaken by Savile had been completed and the report into his alleged offending, Giving Victims a Voice, was released in January 2013.[13]

The investigation into "others" continued after the Savile investigation concluded. In May 2013, The New York Times reported that "at least 69 police officers and staff members" were involved in the operation and that many of the suspects were celebrities.[17] The operation passed files to South Yorkshire Police in the investigation of Cliff Richard,[18] and passed files to North Yorkshire Police in the investigation of Jimmy Tarbuck.[19] Neither case resulted in charges.[20][21] In June 2016, after child abuse allegations regarding Clement Freud were made public, it was reported that Operation Yewtree had been passed information about Freud in 2012 when two alleged victims made accusations to the NSPCC.[22]

In late 2015, Operation Yewtree was folded into Operation Winter Key, the Met's component of Operation Hydrant.[23] A December 2015 freedom of information disclosure revealed that Scotland Yard had spent £2.2m a year on Operation Yewtree.[24]

Arrests leading to convictions[edit]

Other arrests[edit]

Giving Victims a Voice[edit]

The joint report prepared by the Metropolitan Police Service and the NSPCC, Giving Victims a Voice, was published in January 2013, and marked the end of investigations under Operation Yewtree into Savile alone. It reported that sex offences were committed by Savile on 450 people[114] (328 being children at the time),[115] across England and[116] Scotland,[114] with allegations also made in Jersey.[117] The vast majority of offences occurred in his home town of Leeds and in London, his main place of work.[118]

Allegations associating Savile with abuse at Jersey children's home Haut de la Garenne were made in 2008, during Savile's lifetime. He commenced legal action against The Sun newspaper in response; Savile's lawyer said "The reported events are the antithesis of everything Sir James has worked tirelessly to prevent". No action was taken against Savile at this time.[119]

The victims were "mainly not known to each other".[118][120] His youngest victim was aged 8 years, the oldest 47.[116] Most were aged 13–16,[116] with 73% being under 18[118] and the majority being minors.[121] The attacks included 18 girls and 10 boys under the age of 10,[115] and were mostly against young girls aged under 16.[122]

The offences were mostly opportunistic, although child grooming was involved in some cases.[116][118] The first and final known offences were in 1955 and 2009 respectively.[114][116] The period containing most frequent offending was between 1966 and 1976 (when he was aged 40–50),[115][116][118] coinciding with his "peak [celebrity] status".[123] The most frequent offending was during 1975 and 1976 with each year having 15 offences recorded in it.[124]

Most allegations had not previously been reported to authorities, with victims stating reasons of fear of disbelief or distrust of the judicial system.[118] At least seven allegations[117] of sexual assault made to police during Savile's lifetime were not linked.[117] The CPS said prosecutions "might have been possible" in connection with allegations made to Surrey Police between 2007 and 2009.[116]

Savile's celebrity status meant that he was considered to have been "hiding in plain sight".[114][116] Operation Yewtree's senior investigating officer, DSI David Gray, said Savile used Jim'll Fix It "as a vehicle to gain access to victims".[120]

Approximately 600 people had provided information at the time of the publication of the Savile report, Giving Victims a Voice, of which 450 related to Savile.[120][125] A total of 214 criminal offences were formally recorded[121][125][126] across 28 police forces. The NSPCC described Savile as "one of the most prolific sex offenders in its 129-year history".[127] The BBC restated a "sincere apology to the victims".[127]

Concurrent investigations[edit]

Other high-profile arrests[edit]

Stuart Hall was jailed in 2013

During Operation Yewtree, several other high-profile British public figures were investigated for sexual offences. These included television and radio presenter Stuart Hall, who was convicted of 15 counts of indecent assault,[128] ITV Granada weatherman Fred Talbot, who was jailed after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two schoolboys,[129] and DJ and friend of Savile, Ray Teret, who was found guilty of seven rapes and eleven indecent assaults and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.[130] Coronation Street actors William Roache and Michael Le Vell were both separately found not guilty of all charges made against them,[131][132] and DJ Neil Fox was acquitted of several charges.[24]

Although these allegations, investigations and prosecutions were not directly connected to Operation Yewtree,[133] they were linked in public imagination.[134] In particular, Roache's defence argued that Operation Yewtree had created an atmosphere in which allegations of sexual abuse against celebrities were more likely to be taken to prosecution,[131] while several other commentators speculated that the decision in particular to prosecute Roache and Le Vell may have been influenced by the high profile of Yewtree.[132][135][136]

Operation Hydrant[edit]

In response to a large increase of complainants coming forward in the summer of 2014 in the wake of the Savile scandal, Operation Hydrant, a new operation into historical child sex abuse allegations was launched by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC). As of 20 May 2015, 1433 suspects – including 261 of "public prominence" (135 from TV, film or radio) and 666 from institutions (including 154 from schools, 75 from children's homes, 40 from religious institutions and 14 medical establishments) – have been identified. Operation Hydrant is not responsible for conducting independent investigations; it gathers information from other inquiries, including Operation Yewtree.[137]

Operation Ravine[edit]

Operation Ravine is an investigation by Surrey Police into alleged sexual abuse connected to the Walton Hop disco. A previous investigation into the Walton Hop disco, Operation Arundel, resulted in the convictions of Chris Denning and music mogul Jonathan King for child sex offences in the early 2000s. Matthew Kelly was also arrested in 2003, but subsequently cleared of all charges. In January 2014, Merseyside Police carried out an independent review of Operation Arundel and related materials were shared with Operation Yewtree.[138] On 10 September 2015, three men were arrested as part of Operation Ravine, including Jonathan King.[139] Denning was charged with six offences stemming from the investigation on 7 June 2016,[72] and he pleaded guilty to 21 offences on 22 August 2016.[140] Denning, who was already sentenced to 13 years stemming from his Yewtree convictions, was sentenced to an additional 13 years for these offences on 7 October.[141] King stood trial in June 2018 but the jury was discharged for legal reasons.[142] On 6 August 2018, King received an apology for the collapse of the trial, with Judge Deborah Taylor saying that Surrey Police had made "numerous, repeated and compounded" errors during the investigation, describing the situation as a "debacle".[143]

Operation Midland[edit]

In response to increasing public outcry and government pressure in the wake of the Savile scandal, Metropolitan Police launched Operation Midland in November 2014, to investigate allegations of child abuse against several high-profile British citizens in positions of authority. The operation was conducted over eighteen months against a group of 12 men, but unlike other child abuse cases being investigated, detectives conducting the investigations made several critical errors in regards to the allegations made, the treatment of those accused, and the evidence supplied to them, and failed to find sufficient evidence to support the accusations against the group.[144] The operation ended in March 2016 as a complete failure, causing considerable damage to those accused, damaged the likelihood of genuine victims of abuse coming forward, and cost the Metropolitan Police several millions of pounds in operational costs, compensation, and subsequent investigations against the individual who made the allegations. A 2016 inquiry into the conduct of the police taskforce damned the operation for its failings and left considerable questions over the investigative conduct into the accountability of officers for misconduct. The individual who made the false allegations, Carl Beech (himself a child sex offender), was later charged in 2018, and jailed for eighteen years in 2019.[145][146]

Reactions and analysis[edit]

Yewtree was credited for an increase in the reporting of sexual offences. Dubbed the "Yewtree effect", reports of sexual offences recorded by police rose 17% by 2013.[3] In 2019, Louis Theroux compared Operation Yewtree to sexual abuse allegations made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, which led to the Weinstein effect and created a global trend in which powerful men were accused of sexual misconduct.[147]

In response to some having labelled Operation Yewtree a "witch-hunt",[134][148][149] Joan Smith of The Guardian stated that the conviction of Max Clifford vindicated the operation,[134] and Martin Evans of The Daily Telegraph said that despite several high-profile failures, Rolf Harris' conviction vindicated it.[148] Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe denied claims of a witch-hunt, commenting that the alternative would be to ignore allegations.[149] Paul Gambaccini, who was arrested and bailed repeatedly for a year before being told he would face no further action, testified before the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee on 3 March 2015. He told MPs he was the victim of a witch-hunt and that he was used as human "fly paper" to encourage other people to come forward and make allegations against him. Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders denied the allegations.[150] In a November 2015 debate organized by the NSPCC on whether investigations into historic sexual abuse had turned into "media witch-hunts", former Metropolitan Police commander Peter Spindler said that police "got some things wrong" and that they "didn't have sufficient resources in place".[1]

In an article for The Spectator, Rod Liddle criticised the handling of these cases by police, especially in the case of Freddie Starr, who was arrested four times and bailed nine times before being told he would not be charged, claiming: "the way the police have conducted the process is hugely unfair".[151] In the aftermath of Cliff Richard's August 2014 property search, human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson wrote in The Independent that the long delays before announcing charges amounted to "outrageous treatment", adding: "This has been one of the most intolerable features of other high-profile arrests for 'historic' offences, namely the inability of police and prosecutors to deliver Magna Carta’s truly historic promise that justice will not be delayed."[152] After others, including Jim Davidson and Gambaccini, were left on bail for many months before being told they would not face charges, then-Home Secretary Theresa May proposed that bail time be limited to 28 days.[153][154] The 28-day limit came into effect in April 2017.[155]

Noting that some of the high-profile arrests did not lead to convictions, Variety described Operation Yewtree as a "botched" investigation.[156] At a Labour Party conference in July 2014, comedian and friend of Gambaccini Stephen Fry criticised the operation, pointing out that fewer than half of those accused at the time had been found guilty, and called for tougher laws to prevent false sex abuse allegations.[157] MP Nigel Evans, who was cleared of unrelated sexual assault charges, called for individuals to receive anonymity until charged after the CPS announced that it would not charge Gambaccini.[158] Although the case against Dave Lee Travis resulted in a conviction on one count of indecent assault for groping an adult woman's breast for 15 seconds in 1995, Rosie Millard and Carole Malone wrote separate opinion pieces in The Independent and The Daily Mirror respectively in which they questioned whether police resources should have been spent pursuing other crimes.[159][160]

In February 2016, Irish Supreme Court Judge Adrian Hardiman criticised the methods used by Operation Yewtree, particularly the treatment of Paul Gambaccini, as well as the investigations of Cliff Richard and the Operation Midland cases of Leon Brittan and Edwin Bramall, for what he described as the radical undermining of the presumption of innocence.[161] Richard Henriques conducted an inquiry into the Metropolitan Police's sexual abuse investigations and was critical of the handling of Operation Midland but reserved praise for Operation Yewtree.[162] Gambaccini, Bramall and Harvey Proctor, who had been investigated by Operation Midland, sued the Metropolitan Police for £3m in February 2017.[163] In November 2018, Gambaccini reached an out-of-court settlement with the Crown Prosecution Service and received an undisclosed amount in damages.[164]

Operation Yewtree was the inspiration for a drama, National Treasure, starring Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters and Andrea Riseborough. Coltrane played Paul Finchley, a fictional light-entertainment performer accused of rape, Walters played Finchley's wife Marie, and Riseborough played their daughter Danielle ("Dee"). The four-part series, by The Forge, was broadcast September–October 2016 on Channel 4.[165] A Channel 4 documentary titled The Accused: National Treasures on Trial examined the investigation in 2022.[156]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Police 'got things wrong' with Operation Yewtree". BBC News. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Operation Yewtree detectives arrest 79-year-old man on suspicion of sexual offences". The Independent. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b Dean, Lewis (24 January 2014). "Yewtree Effect: Trials of Dave Lee Travis, Rolf Harris and Bill Roache Led to Surge in Reported Sex Crimes". International Business Times. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  4. ^ Midgley, Neil (4 October 2012). "Jimmy Savile: Exposure, ITV1, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  5. ^ Beckford, Martin; Alleyne, Richard (5 October 2012). "Met investigate Sir Jimmy Savile as dozens more abuse allegations are made". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Met to lead on Savile allegations". Metropolitan Police. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  7. ^ "Met Police to assess Jimmy Savile claims". BBC News. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Organisational Structure" (PDF). Metropolitan Police. October–November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Savile abuse claims: Police pursue 120 lines of inquiry". BBC News. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  10. ^ "How do police operations get their names?". BBC News. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  11. ^ "Operation Yewtree Update". Metropolitan Police. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  12. ^ a b Dodd, Vikram (28 October 2012). "Jimmy Savile: how the police investigation grew". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  13. ^ a b "Savile abuse part of Operation Yewtree probe 'complete'". BBC News. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Savile abuse claims: Met Police launch criminal inquiry". BBC News. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  15. ^ Rayner, Gordon (19 October 2012). "Jimmy Savile: police launch criminal investigation after victims claim some abusers are still alive". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  16. ^ Palmer, Ewan (25 April 2013). "Operation Yewtree: Freddie Starr Vows to Clear Name after Second Sex Abuse Arrest". International Business Times. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  17. ^ Lyall, Sarah (1 May 2013). "British Stars of Yesteryear Are Ensnared in Sexual Offenses Inquiry". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  18. ^ Mendick, Robert; Prynne, Miranda; Evans, Martin (22 August 2014). "BBC accused of cover up over Cliff Richard raid". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  19. ^ "Jimmy Tarbuck arrested in child abuse inquiry". BBC News. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  20. ^ "Jimmy Tarbuck will not face abuse charges". BBC News. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  21. ^ "No sex charges to be brought against Cliff Richard". ITV News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  22. ^ Laville, Sandra (15 June 2016). "Third woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Sir Clement Freud". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.19.012498". Metropolitan Police. February 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2021.; Roper, Catherine (6 February 2019). "Witness Statement" (PDF). Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. § 10(c).
  24. ^ a b Halliday, Josh (27 December 2015). "Scotland Yard spent nearly £5m on three child abuse inquiries in 2015". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  25. ^ "Jimmy Savile investigation: Gary Glitter arrested on 'sexual offences'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 28 October 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  26. ^ "Jimmy Savile: Former pop star Gary Glitter arrested by police". BBC News. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  27. ^ a b Booth, Robert (28 October 2012). "Gary Glitter arrested by police on Jimmy Savile case". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  28. ^ "Gary Glitter bailed until 2014". The Daily Express. London. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  29. ^ Palmer, Ewan (5 June 2014). "Operation Yewtree: Gary Glitter Charged with Eight Child Sex Offences". International Business Times. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  30. ^ "Gary Glitter rebailed over sex claims". ITV News. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  31. ^ "Glitter guilty of abusing girls". BBC News. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  32. ^ "Gary Glitter jailed for 16 years". BBC News. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  33. ^ "Gary Glitter freed from prison after serving half of sentence for abusing girls".
  34. ^ Grierson, Jamie (13 March 2023). "Gary Glitter recalled to prison after breaching licence conditions". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  35. ^ a b "Dave Lee Travis 'arrested in Jimmy Savile police inquiry". BBC News. 15 November 2012.
  36. ^ "DJ Dave Lee Travis says arrest not linked to children". BBC News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  37. ^ "Dave Lee Travis arrested over new sex offence claims". BBC News. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  38. ^ "Dave Lee Travis, ex-Radio 1 DJ, faces indecent assault charges". BBC News. 15 August 2013.
  39. ^ "Dave Lee Travis trial: DJ cleared of indecent assault". BBC News. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  40. ^ "Dave Lee Travis found guilty of indecent assault". BBC News. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  41. ^ "Dave Lee Travis given suspended sentence". BBC News. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  42. ^ "Max Clifford arrested in sex offences investigation". BBC News. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  43. ^ "Max Clifford denies 'damaging' sex offence allegations". BBC News. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  44. ^ Quinn, Ben (26 April 2013). "Max Clifford charged with 11 counts of indecent assault". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  45. ^ "Clifford guilty of indecent assaults". BBC News. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  46. ^ "Max Clifford arrested by Operation Yewtree officers". BBC News. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  47. ^ "Max Clifford faces indecent assault charge". BBC News. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  48. ^ "PR guru Max Clifford cleared of sexually assaulting teenage girl in his office". The Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  49. ^ "Max Clifford jailed for eight years for sex assaults". BBC News. 2 May 2014.
  50. ^ Gallagher, Paul (19 March 2014). "Max Clifford sentenced to eight years in prison". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  51. ^ "Max Clifford dies in hospital aged 74". BBC News. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  52. ^ "Jimmy Savile investigation: Man in his 80s questioned". BBC News. 29 November 2012.
  53. ^ "Operation Yewtree: Man, 82, arrested in Berkshire". BBC News. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  54. ^ "Rolf Harris questioned in Yewtree sex offence probe". BBC News. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  55. ^ Amy Croffey (29 August 2013). "Rolf Harris charged with 13 child sex offences dating from 1980 to 2012". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  56. ^ "Rolf Harris facing three further sexual assault charges". BBC News. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  57. ^ "Rolf Harris Appears in Court For Assault Trial". LBC News. 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  58. ^ "Rolf Harris trial: Entertainer 'assaulted friend of daughter'". BBC News. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  59. ^ "Rolf Harris: New Zealander makes formal complaint of sexual assault". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  60. ^ "Rolf Harris could face fresh charges as 10 new victims reportedly allege abuse". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  61. ^ "Rolf Harris 'quizzed over sex offences'". BBC News. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  62. ^ "Harris faces indecent assault charges". BBC News. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  63. ^ "Rolf Harris trial: Ex-TV star cleared of sex assault charges". BBC News. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  64. ^ "Rolf Harris: no retrial on sex abuse charges after jury fails to reach verdict". The Guardian. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  65. ^ "Rolf Harris jailed for five years and nine months". BBC News. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  66. ^ "Rolf Harris released from Stafford Prison". BBC News. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  67. ^ "Rolf Harris: Serial abuser and ex-entertainer dies aged 93". BBC News. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  68. ^ Halliday, Josh (6 June 2013). "Former Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning held on suspicion of sexual offences". The Guardian. London.
  69. ^ "Ex-Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning charged with 41 sex offences". BBC News. 22 May 2014.
  70. ^ "Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning admits abusing boys". BBC News. 5 August 2014.
  71. ^ Tran, Mark (14 November 2014). "Former Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning admits 41 sex offence charges". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  72. ^ a b "Ex-DJ Denning charged with child sex offences". Surrey: BBC News. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  73. ^ "Ex-DJ Chris Denning jailed for sex abuse". BBC News. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  74. ^ "Ex-BBC DJ Chris Denning jailed for child sex offences". BBC News. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  75. ^ Thomson, Charles (5 October 2023). "Paedophile BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning dies in prison". Echo News. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  76. ^ a b Duggan, Oliver (17 December 2013). "Operation Yewtree: Stoke Mandeville doctor aged 78 charged with child rape and indecent assault". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  77. ^ Sandra Laville; Lisa O'Carroll (24 October 2012). "Jimmy Savile inquiry looking at alleged sexual abuse by three doctors". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  78. ^ Palmer, Ewan (12 September 2014). "Operation Yewtree: Michael Salmon to Stand Trial on Stoke Mandeville Sex Offence Allegations". International Business Times.
  79. ^ Holland, Laura (7 February 2015). "Doctor, 80, guilty of sex attacks on young girls at Jimmy Savile hospital". The Daily Express. London. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  80. ^ Wheatstone, Richard; Carswell, Andy (15 January 2016). "Former doctor who worked at Stoke Mandeville Hospital charged with rape". getbucks.co.uk. Buckingham. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  81. ^ a b "Stoke Mandeville abuse: Ex-doctor Michael Salmon jailed". BBC News. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  82. ^ "Stoke Mandeville doctor Michael Salmon jailed for rape and sex assaults". BBC News. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  83. ^ "Independent investigation into the death of Mr Michael Salmon a prisoner at HMP Isle of Wight on 2 June 2018" (PDF). Prisons & Probation Ombudsman. December 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  84. ^ "Operation Yewtree detectives arrest 69-year-old man". BBC News. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  85. ^ Dominic Harris (26 September 2016). "Former BBC employee to stand trial on charge of indecently assaulting woman". The Irish News. Press Association. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  86. ^ a b "Ex-BBC worker Geoffrey Wheeler guilty of indecent assault". BBC News. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  87. ^ "Freddie Starr arrested in Jimmy Savile abuse inquiry". BBC News. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  88. ^ "Freddie Starr bailed by Jimmy Savile investigation police". The Independent. London. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  89. ^ "Freddie Starr Rearrested Over Sex Abuse Claims". Sky News.
  90. ^ a b Halliday, Josh (6 May 2014). "Freddie Starr will not be prosecuted over sex offence allegations, says CPS". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  91. ^ "Freddie Starr groped teenage girl on Savile show, judge finds". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  92. ^ "Jimmy Savile: police arrest third man over historical sex abuse allegations". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  93. ^ "'I know how Lord McAlpine feels' says ex-BBC producer arrested for sex abuse". The Daily Telegraph. London. 11 November 2012.
  94. ^ a b "No charges against ex-BBC producer Wilfred De'Ath". BBC News. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  95. ^ "Police's Savile Yewtree inquiry 'has gone too far'". BBC News. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  96. ^ a b "First Yewtree suspect David Smith 'took own life'". BBC News. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  97. ^ Rossington, Ben (3 April 2013). "Operation Yewtree: Former BBC chauffeur David Smith becomes first to be prosecuted in Jimmy Savile probe". Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  98. ^ a b "Former driver for BBC personalities found dead after failing to show in court". The Guardian. London. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  99. ^ "Jimmy Savile abuse: Ex-radio producer Ted Beston arrested". BBC News. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  100. ^ a b "Savile producer Ted Beston 'relieved' as police drop action". BBC News. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  101. ^ "Two new arrests in Scotland Yard sexual abuse inquiry". BBC News. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  102. ^ a b c d e Evans, Natalie (21 August 2013). "Jim Davidson arrest: Comedian to face no further action over alleged sexual offences under Jimmy Savile abuse inquiry". Daily Mirror. London.
  103. ^ Pettifor, Tom (21 May 2013). "Jim Davidson arrested again: Comedian 'vigorously denies' new sex offences claims". Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  104. ^ "Operation Yewtree: Man, 65, arrested in London". BBC News. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  105. ^ a b "Man arrested by Operation Yewtree officers". BBC News. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  106. ^ a b "Man freed without charge by Yewtree inquiry police". BBC News. 16 October 2013.
  107. ^ a b c Cockerton, Paul (29 October 2013). "Operation Yewtree: Two men aged 64 and 74 arrested by Jimmy Savile police". Daily Mirror. London.
  108. ^ a b c "Paul Gambaccini arrested in Operation Yewtree inquiry". BBC News. November 2013.
  109. ^ a b c d Halliday, Josh (10 October 2014). "No charges for Paul Gambaccini over alleged historical sex offences". The Guardian. London.
  110. ^ a b "Man arrested in Operation Yewtree". BBC News. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  111. ^ a b "Operation Yewtree: 74-year-old charged over alleged sex offences". BBC News. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  112. ^ "BBC translator 'abused' position to sexually assault woman, court hears". The Daily Telegraph. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  113. ^ a b "BBC World Service translator cleared of indecent assault". BBC News. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  114. ^ a b c d Farrell, Mike (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile: Scottish sex abuse cases highlighted in report". STV website. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  115. ^ a b c "Jimmy Savile raped 34 and abused 450". Shropshire Star. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  116. ^ a b c d e f g h "Savile report: Key points on TV presenter's offending". BBC News. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  117. ^ a b c Laville, Sandra; Halliday, Josh (11 January 2013). "Savile abused 500 children: report". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  118. ^ a b c d e f Walker, Peter (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile report: key findings". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  119. ^ "Jimmy Savile turns to Fox Hayes for action against The Sun". The Lawyer. 17 March 2008.
  120. ^ a b c Rayner, Gordon; Swinford, Steven (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile spent 'every waking minute' thinking about abusing boys and girls". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  121. ^ a b "Jimmy Savile scandal – report reveals extent of abuse against children as young as eight". Radio Times website. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  122. ^ Randhawa, Kiran; Davenport, Justin (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile abused boy aged eight and dying child: decades of abuse revealed". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  123. ^ Laville, Sandra; Halliday, Josh (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile abused children at 14 hospitals across six decades – report". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  124. ^ Swinford, Steven (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile police missed three chances to take case to trial, DPP admits". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  125. ^ a b "Giving Victims a Voice". MPS website. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  126. ^ Joyce, Julian; Cacciottolo, Mario (11 January 2013). "Jimmy Savile report Key Points". BBC News. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  127. ^ a b "Jimmy Savile scandal: Report reveals decades of abuse". BBC News. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  128. ^ "Stuart Hall found guilty of indecent assault but cleared of rape". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  129. ^ "Fred Talbot: Ex-weatherman jailed for schoolboy abuse". BBC News. 13 March 2015.
  130. ^ "Lawyer: Savile victims will take comfort from Teret verdict". ITV News. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  131. ^ a b Brown, Jonathan (6 February 2014). "William Roache: Coronation Street star found not guilty of all sexual abuse charges". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  132. ^ a b Merrick, Jane (11 September 2013). "The Michael Le Vell verdict is in, but all the lessons are still to learn". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  133. ^ "Stuart Hall charged with rape and 14 counts of indecent assault". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  134. ^ a b c Smith, Joan (30 June 2014). "The Rolf Harris conviction is a vindication of Operation Yewtree". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  135. ^ Manning, Lucy. "Operation Yewtree fails its first test in the courtroom". ITV.com. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  136. ^ "The trial of Michael Le Vell: Salem comes to Britain". Spiked. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  137. ^ "1,400 child abuse suspects identified". BBC News. London. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  138. ^ David Stubbings (17 December 2015). "Walton Hop disco probed again as Chris Denning jailed". Get Surrey. Website of the Surrey Advertiser/Guardian/Herald group of papers. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  139. ^ Brooks-Pollock, Tom (10 September 2015). "Jonathan King: Former music mogul 'arrested on suspicion of historical child sex offences'". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  140. ^ "Ex-Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning pleads guilty to 21 historical child sex offences in teenage disco probe". ITV News. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  141. ^ "Paedophile ex-Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning 'introduced victims to Gary Glitter and offered boy to BBC colleague'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  142. ^ "Music mogul Jonathan King sex trial jurors discharged". BBC News. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  143. ^ Ward, Victoria (6 August 2018). "Surrey Police apologise after judgment reveals disclosure failings in Jonathan King sex abuse case". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  144. ^ Rajeev, Syal; Laville, Sandra (21 March 2016). "Operation Midland: how the Met lost its way". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  145. ^ "Carl Beech: Liar, fraudster and paedophile". BBC News. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  146. ^ Evans, Martin (22 July 2019). "Carl Beech aka Nick found guilty of making up Westminster VIP paedophile ring". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  147. ^ Shepard, Jack (2 March 2019). "Louis Theroux interview: 'Michael Jackson had unhealthy interests in children, but I didn't have enough victim testimony to put forward a forensic case'". MSN. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  148. ^ a b "'Witch-hunt' Operation Yewtree vindicated by Rolf Harris case". The Daily Telegraph. London. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  149. ^ a b "Yewtree no witch hunt: Met chief". The Daily Express. London. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  150. ^ "Paul Gambaccini backs 28-day bail limit after Operation Yewtree arrest". BBC News. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  151. ^ Liddle, Rod (19 April 2014). "The Nigel Evans case proves that juries are smarter than our liberal elite". The Spectator.
  152. ^ Robertson, Geoffrey (16 August 2014). "The way the police have treated Cliff Richard is completely unacceptable". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  153. ^ "Police bail time limit for suspects considered". BBC News. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  154. ^ "Bail Limit Planned After Celebrities' Delays". Sky News. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  155. ^ Peck, Tom (2 April 2017). "Police bail for suspects capped at 28 days". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  156. ^ a b Yossman, K. J. (10 August 2022). "Botched Celebrity Sex Crime Investigation Which Saw Cliff Richard Falsely Accused to be Examined in New Documentary". Variety. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  157. ^ Withnall, Adam (13 July 2014). "Fry 'criticises Operation Yewtree in dinner party rant' calling for tougher laws to deter false sex abuse allegations". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022.
  158. ^ "Nigel Evans: Paul Gambaccini ordeal reinforces need to protect identities before charge". ITV News. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  159. ^ "Dave Lee Travis witch hunt is a sideshow which insults real victims of sexual abuse". Daily Mirror. London. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  160. ^ Millard, Rosie (27 September 2014). "There's no excuse for Dave Lee Travis's behaviour, but we need to keep a sense of proportion". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  161. ^ "Hardiman questions methods of UK sex-claim inquiries". Irish Times. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  162. ^ Walker, Peter (8 November 2016). "Met Police admits Scotland Yard made catalogue of errors over false VIP sex abuse investigation". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  163. ^ O'Neill, Sean; Hamilton, Fiona (14 February 2017). "Victims of abuse inquiry blunders sue Met for £3m". The Times. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  164. ^ "Paul Gambaccini secures CPS payout over unfounded abuse claims". BBC News. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  165. ^ Ross, Peter (6 September 2016). "'This is for the people who were abused': Robbie Coltrane on his Yewtree-inspired drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2016.

External links[edit]