Savile linked to sex attacks at Scottish hospitals

Disgraced BBC DJ Jimmy Savile is the subject of 20 referrals being investigated by Police Scotland. Picture: PA

The alleged incidents in Scotland have come to light after 157 reports relating to sex attacks on NHS premises were passed to the UK’s Department of Health from police.

Of these, three are believed to have taken place in Scottish hospitals and reports have now been passed to both NHS Scotland and Police Scotland.

Police Scotland says it is looking into “less than 20” referrals made to the force as part of the wider Operation Yewtree investigation into allegations made against Savile.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “At the present time less than 20 referrals have been received which relate to Operation Yewtree crimes having occurred, within Scotland, three of which relate to hospital settings. These enquiries are subject to ongoing investigations.

“Since Operation Yewtree began in October 2012, effective liaison has taken place between the Metropolitan Police operation team and the police in Scotland to ensure all disclosures are thoroughly investigated with due regard to Scottish legal jurisdiction and the authority in Scotland of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to direct investigations and make decisions as to whether proceedings will be instigated.”

News of the Scottish probe comes just days after an independent review into the former BBC DJ’s conduct concluded he had subjected patients between five and 75 to “truly awful” sexual abuse for more than four decades.

Savile, who died aged 84 in 2011, is believed to have carried out the attacks in unnamed hospitals in Scotland, police said.

Savile had many ties to Scotland including being the Chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for many years. He owned a house just outside Glencoe which was sold to an unnamed buyer last year.

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “Police Scotland is committed to ensuring that all reports of sexual crime committed against children or young people are thoroughly investigated.

“I recognise that is often a number of years before victims feel able to report such crimes, and would wish to give reassurance that these reports will be treated seriously regardless of the passage of time or status of the perpetrator.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “This information referred to in the report was passed to the police and as such this is a matter for Police Scotland.”

The report, conducted by the NHS and published last Thursday, also said Savile had sexually abused at least five people at the high-security Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire, including two patients who were subjected to repeated assaults.

The NHS investigators found he targeted at least 103 victims as he roamed through 28 hospitals across Britain, including Leeds, Broadmoor and Stoke Mandeville, abusing as he pleased. The report also stated that he had boasted about having sex with corpses and that he had stolen glass eyes from dead bodies to use as jewellery.

Following the report, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised on behalf of the government and the NHS to the victims of Savile’s abuse.