General Chat

That's forward thinking Island *adopts admiration face* :-D

There are fresh claims this morning that he assaulted patients at both Leeds and Stoke hospitals.....when he was a volunteer porter. It just beggars belief that so many people knew of his reputation but choose in many circumstances to keep it under wraps.

Plus Broadmoor has just come into the public domain where another claim of abuse has been alleged.

Like you Ann, just find it incredible that nobody chose to name and shame whilst he was still alive.

John,

Yours good friend must have been a tiny tot when his group played at the dance hall managed by J.S because this was in the early fifties. Are you sure you have his age right ? :-S

No, not sure Joeva. My friend is roughly same age as me (66) and was in a few groups (none known to me). So he would have met Jimmy about 1964-66 period, I would think. I guess he would have driven Jimmy about and kept all his bookwork straight, as he is red hot on administration.

It sounds very possible that he had moved on by 1971 when Janet became his assistant. But, like very many people, he kept a very close friendship with Jimmy, met him many times and spoke about him after the funeral to the BBC.

Just wickied, and Jimmy Saville was still in club manangement in 1960's. He had interests in clubs in Leeds and Salford and other places. I believe he was a very important part of the Manchester music scene in 60's.

What is even more incredible SC is the fact that a nurse has come forward and clearly stated that they knew what he was like ....not sure whether she was from Leeds or Stoke....however she is on record stating that she told one female patient to stay in bed and pretend she was asleep during his visit! Surely these professionals are there to protect us in a vulnerable environment not look the other way!

I think the recording of him and a young girl in his room 1975 if to be believed is very telling of the type of character he was.....

People are always asking in cases like this why did these girls not tell someone.

I was abused (only happened once) when I was 11 by a friend of the family. This was in 1963/4. I felt that I knew what he had done was wrong, but did not know how to tell parents that this good friend was not nice. Not because I did not think that they would not believe me, I just did not know how to do it. Sex was just not discussed within the home like it is today and was certainly not shown on telly or heard of on radio programmes and the press was more 'subdued' not a lot of sensationalism like today.

These go back to the 50 and 60's. It was a different place then and I would guess that many of these young girls did not or had never been told the 'facts of life'. Sex was rarely if ever talked about. I bet many a young girl got pregnant then and had no idea how it happened.

And when it came to abusers or suspected abusers in the community in those days I remember only being told to stay away from so and so, which I did without question never asking why.

I would like to add also that about 20 years ago when I was working a tape was doing the rounds of a BBC interview with Saville and the subject of young girls was broached and he stopped the interview and walked out. Cannot remember the whole tape but it was not a pleasant interview. I remember Saville being arrogant and offhand.

Yes Ann I heard that too and to say I was shocked is an understatement. All professionals have a duty of care to their charges and this was a huge failing. Now I do believe in the old 'there is no smoke without fire' phrase in JS's case but FGS why did nobody speak out?

I'll accept that the victims were perhaps too young to push forward their accusations but adults who witnessed these abuses? Absolutely not! They appear to be guilty of aiding an offender.

Sue

I really wish that allegations had been made before October last year.

Me too Joy.

Thank you, Sue. I can appreciate that alleged victims could have been too frightened etc many years ago to make the allegations public, but I really wish they could have done so before the death of Jimmy Savile, just under one year ago; there could have been some kind of closure then, perhaps.

I suppose in a way, and I am saying this very tentatively, and wish no offence to people who are Catholic, but this reminds me of the debacle over the Catholic Priests. These too were in positions of trust, and were well known in their parishes, rather than on the BBC. But look how people, that were abused by them, and been reluctant to come forward, many, for 40/50 years.
No matter how much we say about this, and this page has become a catalyst for our feelings about it, it will persists, unfortunately.
I have the same feelings as everyone else on here, and more so. There will always be men like this around. Perhaps the alternative, the punishment, is insufficient. Perhaps JS thought he was beyond reproach of any kind, and this gave him free licence to carry on.
I hope I have not caused any offence, as this is not what I intended

My other version of this would get me a life ban from GR.

Julia in Derbyshire

I think this whole affair just shows what a load of old cobblers the "celebrity" thing is.

From listening t a lot of what has been said about JS, it seems some people did tell, but were told something like, what a horrible thing to say about such a kind man who works so hard for charities. Had this of been Fred from down the road, people would have said dirty old sod.

I heard on an interview this morning, a patient of Stoke Manderville say, as far as she could tell he didn't do much work when he was there, he just wandered around, he also had a flat there, and as this lady said, why was he given the freedom to wander? I bet it was because he was a "celebrity" The quicker people see that a lot of "celebs"are just wannabes the better.

It looks like his method of grooming was a little more sophisticated than most perverts.

Just like all the others,he was an opportunists and oh what opportunities were available to him.

lets hope this has been a big wake up call for any in the past and those in the present celeb world.......


any man presented with allegations as was put to him in a short airing this morning when the lady asked about the abuse would have been horrified ,but all he said was-----not heard anything,dont listen to such things,,so matter of fact that it didnt matter to his status........he was untouchable.

as for the nurse claiming she saw him abuse,,,,,,that beggers belief......

its a whole sorry stinking state of affairs....one which may never be resolved or even evidence that all claims hold any truth.....

So,the nurse reports abuse, he(candidate for sainthood) denies it.

Nurse branded attention seeker,loses job.

Savile carries on his saintly good works untouched.

I think that is why she didn't report it.

Sandi Toksvig was laughed at for reporting somebody evidently less powerful for groping her.

Sharron,
Agree 100%
Because he was seen to do good, he was allowed to get away with the disgusting.
Obviously a very flawed character here.

Sue

Why just the celeb world Kay???? Fathers and other relatives did and still do it as well.........even mothers have been in denial when a child tells what her father has been doing.

Does it mean there should be an investigation at all the workplaces of every father, uncle, family friend etc who has been accused of these things too in case it has not been an isolated case?

We had sex education at school in the very early 60s.

Might I just add that it should be recognised that women, mothers, are also perpetrators of sexual crime against minors. Let us not be sexist.