Universal Film Issue 11 - 2013
police are also planning to investigate claims that Savile and an accomplice ran a sex ring at the BBC. A BBC spokesman said, “Both the BBC Trust and the Director-General have stated that the police are the proper authority to look into these serious allegations. The BBC’s internal investigations unit is helping them in every way possible.” Mr Entwistle met with police, and subsequently wrote to his staff: “I wanted to write to you at the end of what has been a difficult week for the BBC, following allegations from a number of women that Jimmy Savile sexually abused them when they were young teenagers during the 1960s and 70s. “Like everyone who works here, I was appalled by the things I saw in the ITV documentary. I am determined that the corporation will do absolutely everything it can to help find out what happened. I want to make it clear that full cooperation with the police on this matter is vital. If any staff member, past or present, knows anything they think might help, I would urge them to come forward.” Although the BBC tried hard to evade the issue and put off calls for an investigation into the scandal, it would now seem that there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for the abused victims, as the Prime Minister has taken an interest. However, it remains to be seen if the BBC investigation will be open and transparent, or if it will follow in the footsteps of the Groucho Club and the wall of silence surrounding that
reprehensible affair. The famous Groucho Club opened its doors in 1985 in what was seen at the time as an antidote to the traditional members club. It was in this spirit that the club was named after the comedian Groucho Marx, who famously remarked “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” Over the years the Groucho Cub has had its fair share of sensational headlines with media quotes such as “Members of the Groucho Club, the coke stained heart of media London” and “White powder scare at the Groucho Claims that Damien Hirst took cocaine at top Club investigated” The former head of the British Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair once stated that he’d happily raid the Groucho Club, and implied that cocaine use at the Groucho Club was equivalent to buying oranges from apartheid South Africa or taking a holiday in Burma”. The raid never happened and most likely never will as the Police in the UK have no appetite to take on a media corporation. This was evident during the recent phone hacking scandal in the UK. While one former manager, Liam Carson, was found dead in a pool of his own vomit on a London street, another manager of
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