TV Licensing: Bishop Bashes BBC Over Savile Sex Scandal

The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised the BBC over its handling of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby said the broadcaster had not shown the same level of integrity in dealing with child abuse scandals as the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches had.

The Archbishop made the remarks on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, while reflecting on changes to society over the last sixty years.

He said: "I think we are a kinder society, more concerned with our own failures, more willing to be honest where we go wrong.

"In most of our institutions there are still areas of darkness."

When pressed on the institutions he was referring to, the Archbishop replied: "If I'm really honest, I'd say the BBC is one.

"I haven't seen the same integrity over the BBC's failures over Savile as I've seen in the Roman Catholic Church, in the Church of England, in other public institutions over abuse."

Savile was unmasked as a serial sex offender shortly after his death in 2011. The BBC appointed Dame Janet Smith to undertake a review into the its culture and practices at the time of his offending. The scope of Dame Janet's review was subsequently broadened to take into account the sex crimes of broadcaster Stuart Hall.

A spokesman for the BBC said: "This isn't a characterisation we recognise. When the Savile allegations became known we established an independent investigation by a High Court judge.

"In the interests of transparency, this was published in full. We apologised and accepted all the recommendations. And while today's BBC is a different place, we set out very clear actions to ensure the highest possible standards of child safeguarding."

Savile in numbers:

8: The age of Savile's youngest victim, who happened to be male.
10: The age of the youngest boy raped by Savile.
13: The age of the youngest girl raped by Savile.
14: The number of offences Savile committed in schools.
15: The number of underage boys sexually assaulted by Savile.
17: The number of children abused by Savile during the production of Jim'll Fix It.
22: The number of offences Savile committed at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
23: The number of offences Savile committed on BBC premises, predominantly Television Centre.
34: The number of rapes committed by Savile.
42: The number of Savile's offences that took place in the Metropolitan Police area.
47: The age of Savile's oldest victim, who happened to be female.
57: The number of females sexually assaulted by Savile.
73%: Of Savile's victims were under the age of 18.
82%: Of Savile's victims were female.
128: The number of indecent assaults committed by Savile.
1959: The year of Savile's first known sex crime - the rape of a 13 year old girl at the BBC's Lime Grove Studios.
2006: The year of Savile's last known sex crime - the indecent assault of an adult female after the recording of the final Top Of The Pops programme.