Jimmy Savile: Broadcaster slammed in leaked report for allowing 61 sexual assaults on BBC's premises

A leaked draft of the Dame Janet Smith review into the BBC's conduct at the time of the Jimmy Savile scandal has revealed at least 61 sexual assaults took place on "virtually every one of the BBC premises at which he worked". The retired judge has been leading an inquiry into the broadcasters obtaining statements from witnesses who said the TV personality abused children "in plain sight", according to investigative news website, Exaro.

The leaked 37,500-word document revealed that multiple sexual assaults, including rapes, took place across a number of BBC locations and Smith criticised the corporation for a "very deferential culture", with its "untouchable" stars and "above the law" managers, in an excerpt published on their website. Furthermore in her report she says the indecent assaults on children were all "in some way associated with the BBC".

Chillingly she finishes her report with the statement: "Finally, I wish to consider whether it is possible that a predatory child abuser could be lurking undiscovered in the BBC even today. The answer is that I think it is possible."

The inquiry, which was led by the former Court of Appeal judge Smith, and supported by Dame Linda Dobbs, has been delayed to wait for the conclusions of multiple criminal proceedings since it was opened in 2012. The 500-page report was completed a little over a year ago and this is the first draft which has been leaked.

The report revealed that most of the victims were lured to his mobile homes or nearby caravans but some victims, some aged just nine years old, were abused at broadcasting house of provincial studios. The full report will published in around six weeks.

The inquiry details witnesses testifying to Savile abusing an underage girl on the set of Top of the Pops in 1969, underage girls being invited back to Savile's dressing room where they were abused, in one section highlighted by Exaro, some abuse was even live on camera. Smith says the "devastating details of the sheer scale of awareness within the BBC of Savile's activities".

"He would indulge in sexual touching while working on the set [of Top of the Pops, of Jim'll Fix It] and on at least one occasion, he was actually on camera," the expert says. "Savile would seize the opportunity for sexual contact even in public places such as corridors, staircases and canteens".

Another 17-year-old girl who was assaulted on camera on Top of the Pops in 1976 brought her complaint to BBC staff but was told "Jimmy fooling about," said Smith.

According to the report, Savile would arrange for particular children to be stood next to him on a podium during filming on some his shows. "Savile always used to choose the girls and boys he wanted close to him ... instead of letting the director or floor manager choose them," it said.