Update: Jimmy Savile child abuse inquiry

31 allegations of rape against Jimmy Savile

12 December 2012

A total of 31 allegations of rape have been made against Jimmy Savile so far, police investigating the sex abuse scandal have revealed.

In total, 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal, and there have been 450 complaints against the BBC presenter and DJ himself, mainly alleging sexual abuse, Scotland Yard said.

There have been 199 recorded crimes in 17 force areas in which he is a suspect.

Operation Yewtree detectives have detained seven suspects and helped in the arrest of three others elsewhere in the country, Scotland Yard said, adding: "More arrests nationally will be forthcoming."

NSPCC has received  five calls a day about Jimmy Savile since first allegations made 

15 November 2012

The NSPCC has received 236 calls about Jimmy Savile - an average of five a day - since the first sexual abuse allegations were made at the beginning of October.

There has also been an increase in the last month of nearly 200 per cent in contacts from people reporting other incidents of sexual abuse, rising to 550.

Peter Watt, NSPCC's Director of Child Protection Advice and Support:
"It's crucial that people continue to come forward, whether they have information about Savile or anyone else.

"Our prime focus has to be on protecting children, particularly those unable to speak out themselves, and bringing offenders to justice.

"Sometimes people wait months or years before reporting abuse but we would urge them to act quickly so they can get help as soon as possible.

"While the whole Savile episode has been distressing it has also led to more victims of abuse seeking support, which is positive."

In the last few weeks more than 2000 people have also downloaded a leaflet,
'What can I do', advising parents on how to protect their children from sexual abuse.

Anyone wishing to contact the NSPCC about Savile or any other concerns about children should call -0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

Children can contact ChildLine 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0800 1111 or on the ChildLine website.

190 calls referred to police

31 October 2012

We have received 190 calls directly relating to Jimmy Savile, which have been passed on to the police.

In the four weeks since the allegations against Savile first surfaced, we have also had an additional 217 calls relating to other historical abuse. 91 of those have been referred to the police.

Surge in calls about children suffering sexual abuse right now

25 October 2012

The NSPCC has seen a surge in calls from adults worried about children suffering current sexual abuse since the revelations about Jimmy Savile.

There has been a 60 per cent rise in people contacting the NSPCC helpline with concerns around the sexual abuse of children happening right now.

The helpline has now received 439 calls on the issue in the past three weeks, compared to around 250 that would normally be expected over the same period.

The NSPCC was able to pass two out of five of these calls to the police or social services for further investigation.

This number is in addition to the 340 calls the NSPCC has received from adults alleging historic sexual abuse, when they were children, by Savile or another person.

Peter Watt, NSPCC's Director of Child Protection Advice and Support, said:
"The case of Jimmy Savile has caught the attention of the entire country. And whilst we have seen a wave of calls relating to abuse by the late celebrity, as well as calls from other adults who were abused in childhood, we have also seen a very welcome surge of calls relating to children suffering abuse right now.

"This is especially encouraging as we may be able to help stop this abuse in its tracks and bring the perpetrators to justice.

"If one good thing has come out of the Savile case, it's increased public awareness of how difficult it is for children to speak out and why it's vital adults report any suspicions or concerns they have straight away.

"We hope this increase indicates a turning point in public confidence about taking action against child abuse."

Anyone with concerns about a child should call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. They can also email help@nspcc.org.uk, text 88858 or make a report online.

Any children and young people with concerns on any issue can call ChildLine on 0800 1111.

Over 160 calls referred to police

24 October 2012

We have now received 161 calls directly relating to allegations against Jimmy Savile which we've passed to the police.

Media coverage of the case has prompted a further 105 calls from adults wanting to talk about their experiences of being abused as children. We have also passed 24 of these on to the police.

150 calls referred to police

23 October 2012

We are continuing to work with the police in their investigation and, as of today, have referred 150 calls directly relating to the allegations against Jimmy Savile.

If you have any child protection concerns, please contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

136 calls referred to police

19 October 2012

The NSPCC has now referred 136 calls directly relating to allegations against Jimmy Savile to the police. This has contributed to the 200 potential victims that the Metropolitan Police have now identified and the 400 lines of inquiry they are examining.   

Peter Watt, NSPCC's Director of Child Protection Advice and Support, said:
"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.

"It's important we recognise the brave step victims have taken in coming forward and we urge any other victims to do the same.

"We are also finding more and more people coming forward and reporting unrelated abuse after hearing the victims in this case speak out.

"Many are only just doing so after years of keeping it to themselves. The NSPCC's priority is to support these people working with partner organisations like NAPAC."

People can contact the NSPCC regarding any child protection concerns on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

95 calls referred to police, case prompts 19 others to seek help

15 October 2012

The NSPCC has now referred 95 calls related to the Jimmy Savile inquiry to police. These concern claims of abuse at the hands of the former BBC DJ or contain information about him.

Another 19 callers also made contact, seeking help after seeing publicity surrounding the case. Details of these calls -which are not Savile-related - have also been passed to Scotland Yard's Yewtree team which is overseeing the inquiry.

Peter Watt, NSPCC's Director of Child Protection Advice and Support, said:
"While it's important for people to come forward with information to help police with this particular inquiry we are also anxious to hear from anyone who has suffered this kind of abuse - not necessarily at the hands of Savile.

"Many people who are sexually abused find it hard to speak out but we want them to know that our specially trained counsellors are on hand 24 hours a day to give them advice and support.

"While the Savile case may be unusual it is certainly not unique. There are many children at constant risk from sex offenders as well as adults who are trying to recover many years after being abused. It's vital that we don't lose sight of this and continue to offer help and protection to those who need it ."

Anyone wishing to contact the NSPCC should call 0808 800 5000.