Police release Jimmy Savile transcripts: 'I didn't assault women - they assaulted me'

 
Savile: There could be even more victims, says expert
AP Photo/John Redman
Pa16 October 2013

Lurid details of Jimmy Savile's alleged sexual abuse have been made public for the first time after transcripts of a police interview were published by Surrey Police.

The disgraced broadcaster was quizzed by officers for almost an hour over accusations he forced one girl to touch his groin until he was "aroused", made another perform oral sex and sticking his tongue down a young girl's throat.

The former star remained defiant during the interview - which took place at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital on October 1, 2009 - boasting he had to fight off girls "like midges".

Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, told officers he was "assaulted" by women when he worked for BBC Radio 1 and Top of the Pops, insisting he did not abuse the youngsters at Duncroft Children's home in Staines in Berkshire in the 1970s,

Police asked Savile whether he had forced one girl to touch him and another to give him oral sex.

Savile told police the only reason the allegations were surfacing years later was because his fame made him an easy target and claimed his alleged victims were making the accusations for money.

He told police: "My business there's women looking for a few quid, we always get something like this coming up for Christmas, because we want a few quid for Christmas right.

"And normally you can brush them away like midges and it's not much of a price to pay for the lifestyle."

Savile claimed his notoriety meant he had no need to "do anybody any harm".

"When you're doing Top of the Pops and Radio 1, what you don't do, is assault women, they assault you, that's for sure," he said.

"And you don't have to, because you've got plenty of girls about, and all that, so dealing with something like this, is out of the question and totally wrong, full stop."

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One allegation in the transcript centred around Savile allegedly inappropriately touching a girl in the TV room at Duncroft Children's home in Staines in Berkshire in the 1970 - and then making her place her hand on his groin area.

An officer put it to him that a victim said "when Jimmy Savile visited, he touched her over her clothes sexually", to which the star replied: "Out of the question".

Savile then "asked her to comb his hair then massage him", the officer said.

He answered: "Not true, none of it."

"Then massage his groin area, and give him oral sex," the detective said.

"Oh! Out of the question," replied Savile.

The interview was held on October 1, 2009, at Stoke Mandeville by officers from Surrey Police when Savile was 83-years-old.

Savile went on to brag to police, who were conducting the interview at the Stoke Mandeville hospital, that he was in charge there.

"I own this hospital, NHS runs it, I own it and that's not bad," he said.

The transcripts also showed Savile was prepared to see the allegations go all the way to the Old Bailey.

Savile said he had already had five newspapers settle with him after he threatened to sue them.

He even referred to himself as the "Litigiousness", given his willingness to take people to court.

"Now if you're Litigiousness, people get quite nervous actually because for somebody that don't want to go to court, I love it," he said.

Savile said that willingness to stand before a judge should be proof itself he had done nothing wrong.

"Because I've never done anybody any harm in my entire life, 'cos... there's no need to," he told police.

"No need to chase girls, I've thousands of them on Top of the Pops, thousands on Radio 1.

"No need to take liberties with them, out of the question and anyway it's not my nature."

The star told police: "When you're doing Top of the Pops and Radio 1, what you don't do, is assault women, they assault you, that's for sure, and you don't have to, because you've got plenty of girls about, and all that, so dealing with something like this, is out of the question and totally wrong, full stop."

Another allegation involved Savile asking a girl for oral sex in return for a job as a nurse. He also denied kissing a third girl on the mouth.

During the interview, released under the Freedom of information Act, Savile rejected suggestions he was attracted to girls under 16.

"No, they have nothing to offer, in so far as, they didn't even have much of a conversation," he said.

Liz Dux, head of abuse at law firm Slater & Gordon, which is representing 72 alleged victims, said: "The interview shows Savile to be a man with complete disdain and contempt for those that he was purporting to help.

"He boasts about his fundraising for the hospitals, his wealth and his powerful friends demonstrating how his actions went unquestioned for so many years.

"His victims will be distressed to read that those that protected him put monetary gain and his celebrity above looking after their welfare.

"It's clear from the interview and the detailed questioning from police that they must have had a lot of information at the time he was interviewed back in 2009."

The interview emerges after Jeremy Hunt announced that more hospitals may be investigated as part of inquiries into abuse by Savile on NHS premises.

New information has come to light relating to investigations across 13 institutions as well as "reference to other hospitals".

He has asked police to review all of the evidence before relevant information is passed on to investigators "as quickly as possible".

In January, a Metropolitan Police and NSPCC joint report revealed the extent of Savile's alleged crimes.

It said 450 people have come forward alleging sexual abuse at the hands of Savile, who has been described as one of Britain's most prolific paedophiles.

His abuse spanned from 1955 to 2009, covering his entire career at the BBC and included sexually touching a teenage girl at the final recording of Top of the Pops in 2006.

Savile also abused patients at Leeds General Infirmary, where he worked between 1965 and 1995, and committed offences at Stoke Mandeville Hospital between 1965 and 1988.

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