BBC inquiry begins as sex abuse scandal grows

An inquiry into the BBC’s culture and practices got under way with the corporation reeling from allegations of child sex abuse perpetrated by Jimmy Savile, one of its biggest stars.

An inquiry into the BBC’s culture and practices got under way with the corporation reeling from allegations of child sex abuse perpetrated by Jimmy Savile, one of its biggest stars.

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The probe begins a year to the day since the death of Savile, the eccentric presenter now considered one of the most prolific sex offenders in British history, with some 300 alleged victims coming forward in recent weeks.

It also starts the day after 1970s glam rocker Gary Glitter, a convicted paedophile, was questioned on suspicion of sexual offences, the first arrest in the widening police probe into the activities of Savile and others around him.

Janet Smith, a former Court of Appeal judge, inquiry will also examine whether the BBC’s child protection and whistle-blowing policies are fit for purpose.