Review of abuse cases to avoid ‘Savile moment’

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer announced details of a shake-up in the way the criminal justice system deals with alleged sex abuse to head off “another Savile moment”.

Plans include a panel to review cases where investigations have not been pursued.

Mr Starmer told the Radio 4 Today programme: “What we are proposing is a scoping panel to look at cases where people have previously come forward but their case has not been proceeded with. The panel will advise chief constables on whether the case should be reopened.

“This is really to put some formality around the process by which either the police or victims could bring a case to the panel and say, ‘do you think this one deserves a second look?’.

“I think it’s more likely to be hundreds than thousands [of cases] but we’ll have to feel our way through it.”

This year the Crown Prosecution Service said a chance was missed to charge Jimmy Savile with sex crimes. Allegations were made to Surrey and Sussex Police but cases were not pursued because victims were not taken seriously enough.

Mr Starmer said: “We cannot afford another Savile moment in five or 10 years’ time. Whatever approach is now agreed it has to be ... able to withstand the test of time.”

Savile was one of Britain’s most prolific sexual predators and was left free to abuse hundreds of victims for decades.

Comment: Page 12.