Panorama finds no Savile 'cover-up'

Oct 22 2012

A Panorama documentary has failed to find evidence of a BBC "cover-up" over the decision not to air a Newsnight investigation into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims.

The hour-long documentary lifts the lid on the extent to which the higher echelons of the corporation were aware of the claims against the late DJ. BBC foreign editor John Simpson describes the scandal as "the worst crisis that I can remember in my nearly 50 years at the BBC".

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon maintains the piece - which was due to run last December - was pulled for editorial reasons, not because the potentially damaging revelations coincided with a planned tribute to the star.

But on Tuesday night, the hour-long documentary will hear from Newsnight producer Meirion Jones and reporter Liz MacKean, who both claim they had interviewed at least four alleged victims of Savile - and confirmed with Surrey Police that they had investigated sex abuse complaints against the Jim'll Fix It star in 2007.

They say that when they told bosses the Crown Prosecution Service did not charge Savile because of insufficient evidence, they were told to end the investigation - and the show was withdrawn.

The horror stories about Savile only fully emerged after ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month - sparking mayhem at the BBC over losing its scoop and leading to the allegations of a cover-up.

A Panorama statement said: "Peter Rippon has always maintained the story was pulled for 'editorial reasons' and not because of a potentially embarrassing clash with planned BBC tributes to Savile over Christmas. Panorama has found no evidence to contradict that view."

Panorama, which airs at 10.35pm on BBC1, also probes why BBC chiefs gave different explanations why the programme was dropped and what it was about.

In the aftermath director general George Entwistle wrote to all staff saying the Newsnight investigation was into "Surrey Police's enquiry into Jimmy Savile towards the end of 2011".

Mr Jones immediately emailed Mr Entwistle, writing: "George - one note - the investigation was into whether Jimmy Savile was a paedophile - I know because it was my investigation. We didn't know that Surrey police had investigated Jimmy Savile - no-one did - that was what we found when we investigated and interviewed his victims."