DETECTIVES confirmed the Jimmy Savile inquiry is now a formal criminal
investigation which also involves living suspects, it emerged today.
The Metropolitan Police – leading the nationwide probe – said it is dealing
with allegations on an “unprecedented scale” with more than 200
victims having now come forward.
The force is following up a total of 400 lines of inquiry and said some of the
alleged perverts involved are still alive.
Savile died last year aged 84 but other people named by victims could still be
prosecuted.
Operation Yewtree, originally only an “assessment” into various claims against
Savile, was launched after a flood of allegations in the wake of an ITV
documentary screened earlier this month exposed the late DJ as a paedophile.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “As we have said from the outset, our work was
never going to take us into a police investigation into Jimmy Savile.
“What we have established in the last two weeks is that there are lines of
inquiry involving living people that require formal investigation.”
Victims have told how Top of the Pops host Savile raped or molested them in
his BBC dressing room.
Others said they were abused when the once-revered entertainer visited
schools, children’s homes and hospitals under the cover of his prolific
charity work.
Met Commander Peter Spindler added: “We are dealing with alleged abuse on
an unprecedented scale.
“The profile of this operation has empowered a staggering number of
victims to come forward to report the sexual exploitation which occurred
during their childhood.”
The Met also gave the green light to the BBC’s own inquiry into the scandal
including claims senior figures at the Corporation knew or suspected what
Savile was doing but covered it up.
It has also emerged that the BBC is aiming to rush a special edition of
Panorama into its schedules looking into issues surrounding Jimmy Savile’s
years of abuse, which could be broadcast on Monday.
Peter Watt, head of the NSPCC charity’s helpline, said today: “It’s now
looking possible that Jimmy Savile was one the most prolific sex offenders
the NSPCC has ever come across.
“We have received over 136 calls directly relating to allegations against him
which we’ve passed to the police.”