Sexual Abuse By Top DJs Overlooked at BBC, Report Finds

Britain’s national broadcaster has revealed the results of an investigation into sexual abuse committed by high profile DJs at the corporation, concluding some BBC staff and members of management were “aware” or “probably aware” of allegations against them.

The report found that television presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile sexually abused 72 people while broadcaster Stuart Hall abused 21 people during their careers at the BBC. The 72 complaints against Savile include 8 instances of rape and one instance of attempted rape, the BBC reports. The youngest sexual assault survivor was 8 years old.

Public allegations against Savile first arose after his death in 2011. Hall was jailed in 2013 after he pleaded guilty to 13 charges of indecent assault involving girls between the ages of 9 and 17 over 30 years.

The report found that some BBC staff and members of management knew of misconduct or complaints against Savile and Hall during their careers, but failed to make any formal reports of abuse. The investigation revealed eight informal complaints had been made, yet the culture at BBC and the celebrity of both abusers led to inaction.

“The BBC failed you when it should have protected you,” said BBC Director General Tony Hall. “A serial rapist and a predatory sexual abuser both hid in plain sight at the BBC for decades.”

The BBC published the full, 1,000-page Dame Janet Smith Report it had commissioned in Oct. 2012, following initial allegations against Savile.

“Both of these men used their fame and positions as BBC celebrities to abuse the vulnerable,” said Smith, the independent investigator. “They must be condemned for their monstrous behavior.”