Jimmy Savile: One offence recorded in Lothians

ONE offence in the Lothians has been recorded by police investigating sex abuse by Jimmy Savile.

In all 214 crimes were recorded by 28 forces across the country. Children as young as eight were abused by Savile, the report detailing almost 50 years of allegations has revealed. Five of the complaints have been lodged with Scottish forces - including one with Lothian and Borders police.

The Metropolitan Police and NSPCC outlined offences at 13 hospitals, including Great Ormond Street in London and Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds.The Crown Prosecution service has apologised for missing the opportunity to prosecute Savile in 2009, while he was still alive.He died in 2011 before the full scope of his activities emerged. Police said the victims’ accounts painted a “compelling picture of widespread sexual abuse by a predatory sex offender,” and Cdr Peter Spindler, who is leading the abuse probe, said Savile had “groomed the nation”.Matt Forde, head of NSPCC Scotland services, said: “It is simply horrific that Savile was able to sexually abuse children across the length and breadth of the UK over six decades, including in four different Scottish regions. Those children will never get justice, now that he is dead, so what we must do is show them we want to make lasting change here in Scotland to protect our next generation of children from harm.” “Sexual abuse has not died with Savile, nor is it primarily about celebrities. The number of children in Scotland on the child protection register because of sexual abuse has increased every year since 2008 and we know from NSPCC research that this is just the tip of the iceberg. David Cameron’s official spokesman said it was “absolutely right that every institution involved gets to the bottom of what has gone on”.